Las Vegas looks to disown its Sister City

Erin Neff

Friday, Aug. 20, 1999 | 4:08 a.m.

One of the most notable differences between then-Councilman Arnie Adamsen and his opponents during last spring's Las Vegas mayoral race was his ardent support of the Sister Cities program and their skepticism of its worth.

Now, less than two months after taking office, the victor in that race, Mayor Oscar Goodman, has asked city staff to evaluate the international exchange program with an eye toward privatizing it.

"I believe it will have to be privatized," Goodman said Thursday at his weekly press conference. "I'm a bottom-line guy. I want to know how the city has benefited other than from social intercourse."

The city gives $25,000 to the nonprofit Las Vegas Sister Cities Association Inc. each year, and the association raises an additional $25,000. The city also funds several staff members to handle international relations.

Last December, the city lost $140,000 when it had to buy back space at the Las Vegas Technology Center that had been sold to South Korean company Continental Wire America Co.

Goodman said he is leaning toward privatizing the program even if a financial benefit is discovered. But he said he would support a program funded entirely by private interests.

Adamsen was out of town on a camping trip and unavailable to comment. Sister Cities Association President Ron Cook was also out of town and unavailable for comment.

But in a previous interview with the Sun, Cook said government involvement is important for the overall success of a Sister Cities program.

"You can't take a trip without a politician because, over there, all of the leaders expect to see their counterparts," Cook said in a February interview. "If you don't have government officials who are interested, the Sister Cities program is dead."

The Las Vegas Sister Cities program started in 1986 when a group of South Korean businessmen encouraged the city to form a Sister City. In 1987, that partnership with An San, South Korea began.

In 1994, the city largely privatized the program -- limiting direct funding to $25,000 a year and forcing the association to pay for trips abroad.

In 1997, Sister Cities relations were established with Phuket, Thailand; Huludao, China; and Angeles City, Philippines.

About 1,200 cities nationwide have such exchanges with cities in 127 countries. Chicago has 22 Sister Cities, Phoenix and Orlando, Fla., have seven each and Reno has eight.

In concept the program is designed to foster increased understanding of other cultures. It is also a tool for enticing international businesses to locate to American cities and to increase trade and business opportunities.

That's where the Las Vegas program has lagged behind.

"My biggest disappointment so far is that we have not done a megadeal," Adamsen said in a previous interview.

But Adamsen's numerous trips to South Korea, Thailand and China were attacked in a campaign television ad by mayoral hopeful Mark Fine. Fine's cartoon ad showed Adamsen jetting abroad and called the program a waste.

Nearly every campaign debate included questions about the program. Adamsen constantly defended its merits while Goodman and others questioned its value given its cost.

Goodman said Thursday that he expects the city's evaluation of the program in a few days. At that time, he said, he will weigh the cost vs. the benefits and decide whether to continue city funding of the program.

"If I feel there's a definite economic benefit, I will consider continued city support," he said.