Hafen longtime resident in fastest-growing city

Lisa Snedeker

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 10:39 a.m.

Most Henderson residents who know him would agree that Arthur "Andy" Hafen is a nice guy.

And anyone who has been in the city for any length of time probably knows him.

The fact that Hafen has celebrated every one of his birthdays as a Henderson resident -- his 45th birthday is Thursday -- and that he has served as a City Councilman for the past 12 years sets him apart from the other candidates in Ward 2, where he is running for his fourth term.

It also sets him apart from a number of his constituents who live in the fastest-growing city in the nation that is expected to surpass Reno this year as the second-largest city in the state with an estimated population hovering around 170,000.

Hafen said he has discovered through the stumping he has done during his current campaign that the majority of the residents he has talked to have lived in Henderson for fewer than five years. In addition to ignorance of the local election process -- for instance, how council people are elected at-large but must live within the ward they run in -- new residents often are apathetic.

"I turn apathy into a positive," Hafen said, adding he thinks that most residents must be happy with the way the city is being run if they are not showing up at the polls in droves.

"When I was first elected in 1987, there were a little over 10,000 registered voters" in Henderson, he said.

That number had doubled by 1991 and again in 1995 to more than 40,000 voters. The Henderson City Clerk's office said the number of registered voters was 77,721 as of April 5.

Hafen said his father moved the family to Henderson in 1933 and opened the OK Tire Store on Lake Mead Drive that is now owned by Hafen's cousin.

Hafen, who lost a bid for the County Commission in 1980, has been luckier in his bids for City Council. He holds the longest tenure among his colleagues on the council.

"I was brought up to serve," Hafen said. "I enjoy it when I can help someone else."

And while Hafen touts his longevity in office as one of his strengths, not everyone is quick to agree.

For example, Kimberly Parker, a 5 1/2-year resident of Henderson who works at the Lake Mead Christian Academy, said that while she has heard Hafen speak and that he seems very involved in the community, she is also checking out his competition in Ward 2 because "Andy has been on the council for a long time."

Parker said her main concerns are education and the "cleaning up of our town," referring to city beautification.

Another resident, Tonya Hunt, said she is not happy with Hafen's vote, along with the rest of the council, that sent Doris Keating back to the drawing board on her proposed Black Mountain Studios in the Wagon Wheel Industrial Park. She said Hafen left her with the impression that the city sold the land too cheaply and that now there were other parties interested.

"What we are elected for is to make decisions that benefit the city as a whole and keep it moving in the right direction," Hafen said. "We realize that with every tough decision, we make some people happy and others not happy."

Among Hafen's key issues are building and zoning, and he is proud to note that a large part of Henderson's development has occurred under his leadership on the council.

His main concern remains public safety -- he is pushing for the city to start its own police training center. But because of the city's continued growth, Hafen also wants to see more parks and recreation opportunities for residents and the infrastructure, primarily roads, keep pace with the influx of new developments and residents.

When it comes to what he has accomplished in his role at the city's helm, the soft-spoken Hafen reveals his modest side by simply saying it takes all five of the council members to make something happen.

"I can't think of a decision that didn't turn out to benefit the city as whole," he said.

Hafen is especially proud, however, of the city's paramedic program and the implementation of the city's DARE -- Drug Abuse Resistance Education -- program.

"We have kept up with it even when some communities have let the program slide," he said.

An accountant by trade, Hafen has worked for Metro Police for almost two decades in the special investigations unit. That's why he says public safety is his top priority.

During his tenure on the council, Henderson was named one of the top 50 "Safest Cities to Live" by Money magazine, ground was broken on the Green Valley Ranch police substation and the Paul Ruth Fire Training Center was completed.

How does he balance a full-time career, raising six children with his wife Debi of 26 years, with his duties as a councilman?

His reply is simple.

"I don't watch TV," he said.

Hafen says the job of a council member is what one makes it. Because of his job at Metro, he is usually unable to serve on the various boards, such as the Southern Nevada Water Authority, that meet during the day.

"The only day board I've sat on was the (Clark County) Health District my first term," he said.

Currently Hafen serves as the council's liaison to the Henderson Planning Commission, on the Convention Center Board, the Emergency Medical Service Board, Citizens Advisory Committee and Henderson's Redevelopment Agency.

He also has cut back on his church leadership because of his council duties.

A member of the Second Ward of the Black Mountain Stake in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hafen said he served in two bishoprics before running for election in 1987.

His only son, Arthur Knight Hafen who goes by "AK," is the 100th great grandchild of his namesake. AK and his twin sisters attend Basic High School, of which their father is an alumnae, while an older sister attends Dixie College in St. George, Utah. Hafen's two eldest daughters are Southern Utah University graduates.

During his campaign, which is a family affair, Hafen is going nonstop.

He said his goal is to raise $150,000 for the campaign. He added he has been amazed at the outpouring of donations of time and money for his campaign.