Henderson council hopefuls much alike

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 10:42 a.m.

There are some striking similarities between Henderson Ward 4 City Council candidates Steve Kirk and Guy Van Wyck.

They are both Republicans, although that should not be a factor in this nonpartisan race. The candidate who wins the May 4 primary gets the four-year job.

Both men are making their first bids at elective office. They are vying for the post from which Councilman David Wood is stepping down after one term.

They both serve on important appointed city boards -- Van Wyck is a member of the Planning Commission and Kirk is chairman of the Parks and Recreation Board.

They are both Green Valley residents who support downtown redevelopment. Kirk, a 30-year resident of Henderson, grew up in the decaying downtown area. Van Wyck, a 10-year Henderson resident, is a former president of the Green Valley Community Association.

They both are college graduates with bachelor's of science degrees -- Kirk in design engineering technology and Van Wyck in economics.

Both are active in their respective churches. Both have coached girls youth soccer. Both have put out snazzy political fliers bordered in blue.

Both of their campaigns are concentrating on the issues of controlled growth, keeping future casinos out of neighborhoods, improving public transportation and expanding parks and recreational facilities.

Van Wyck, 57, wants to encourage companies with good-paying jobs to come to the city. Kirk, 40, wants better fiscal accountability and wants developers to pay a fair share for their impact on parks, schools and roads.

"Growth is a far more complicated issue than most believe," said Van Wyck, the owner of a Henderson insurance agency and a former Air Force captain. "As part of controlled growth we need a good employment base -- I'm talking about $20-an-hour skilled jobs.

"For years we have relied on the gaming industry, but if that goes through a quiet period, we'll need diversification through other good businesses."

Kirk, a general manager for a high-tech computer services firm, has during his tenure on the parks board helped with the development of more than 232 acres of park lands.

"The No. 1 issue is monitoring growth," Kirk said. "Development is a partnership between the city staff, the residents and the developers to build homes that we can all be proud of.

"In a way, I lament some of the growth I have seen. But growth also has been positive for us. It has allowed us to do things we could not do when the city was small, like providing more services and facilities. No city builds recreation projects like we do."

On the Planning Commission, Van Wyck supported Black Mountain Studios, which eventually was nixed by a 3-2 council vote.

Van Wyck said that was perhaps the biggest issue he faced as a planning commissioner. He was disappointed with the outcome, because he felt the studio would have brought to the city the type of diversification it needs.

Kirk wants to ensure that Henderson receives its share of regional road funds so that it can relieve congestion and noise problems. Van Wyck wants to start a hazard materials team at the Henderson Fire Department.