Candidate Smith sees great future in his adopted town

Jace Radke

Thursday, April 22, 1999 | 11:24 a.m.

Councilman Bill Smith, now in the running for mayor, first came to Boulder City in 1957 when he and his wife drove through the town while making a move from Pennsylvania to California.

"I just remembered thinking what an absolute jewel Boulder City was," Smith said. "It was green and beautiful."

So when Smith came back through Boulder City 33 years later with his wife, Elaine, they decided to stay.

"We had lived in Corona and Carlsbad, Calif., but both of the towns started to get too big," Smith said. "We've always gravitated to small towns and when we drove through Boulder City again we looked at each other and knew this is where we wanted to live."

Smith, 72, says that Boulder City's strict growth-control ordinances and its charter that prohibits gambling eliminate any chance that he'll have to go looking for a new small-town home.

"Boulder City is the most unique community in the country because it owns all the land around the city, giving the city control of its own destiny," Smith said. "The voters control if any land is sold, and then there is the fact that it's the only city in Nevada without gambling.

"People would give their eyeteeth to be able to live 20 miles away from Las Vegas without having to live in the city and that's what we have here."

Smith, who served as a city councilman and mayor for one term in Corona, is running for mayor because he says the community is looking for a change in how the city is run. "When I was campaigning for City Council my promise to the voters was that I would bring a business approach to the council," Smith said. "For the most part, my attempts and suggestions to further this business approach have been thwarted by the other members of the council.

"What I now offer to the voters is an opportunity to send a message that they expect Boulder City to be run as an efficient business and that the time has passed for special deals for special people."

Some Boulder City residents say they would welcome a mayor with a business mentality.

"I'd like to see someone in there that is pro business," Boulder City Marine owner Larry Rehan said. "Ideally I'd like to see some local businessmen on the council."

Smith is retired but his business experience includes having owned citrus groves in California, a travel agency in New Mexico and a hardware store in Pennsylvania.

Smith says that in many instances the council seems to be making decisions based on who they owe a favor.

An example Smith gives is the leasing of the city's landfill operation, which he sees as a missed opportunity for the city.

"We had some very good bids, but the majority of the council chose to ignore staff's recommendation, which could have made the city considerably more money," Smith said. "I can't read minds, but decisions like that tell me someone was owed a favor. Those types of decisions are totally without business sense."

Smith says that if elected mayor he will continue to work for the best interests of the city and not for individuals or groups.

"On many occasions the council seems to be more interested in making some person or small group happy instead of doing what's best for the city," Smith said. "Many times if five people get up to speak, they (the council) are swayed instead of weighing the issue for the good of the town as a whole."

Smith was a part of the group that brought the land sales issue to the voters of Boulder City two years ago, and has helped get a question on this ballot asking residents if they will approve an alternate routing of U.S. 93 around the city if a new bridge is built near Hoover Dam.