Henderson, North Las Vegas: Working hard to be No. 2

Lisa Snedeker

Friday, Jan. 22, 1999 | 11:39 a.m.

One word could summarize Thursday's "state of the city" speeches in Henderson and North Las Vegas: growth.

The mayors of both cities talked at length on that theme at luncheons arranged in cooperation with their respective chambers of commerce.

Henderson Mayor James Gibson pointed out how the city has evolved over the past 10 years from a small industrial town to a thriving, dynamic community.

"The city continues to grow and prosper," he said. "Henderson is a mix of old and new, of small-town values and big-city attractions."

Gibson spoke to the need of increasing the big-city attractions, particularly in respect to a four-year college for the city. He said the city will lobby the Legislature this session for money that could result in opening the college by 2001.

North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon compared his city's growth to that of a teenager who has entered adulthood.

"We were just learning how to take responsibility for being a part of a larger community -- learning a sense of responsibility," he said. "Learning, that in order to grow up to be a great city, we needed to nourish ourselves with appropriate growth."

Being part of a larger community means changing the way local government does business, according to both mayors.

"I believe that we are on the eve of not just a new millennium, but a new way of government," Gibson said. "For the first time in many, many years, I can see the governments in this valley working together toward common goals."

Henderson's population has grown to almost 167,000 and is on its way to becoming the state's second largest city by 2000 if projections hold true.

Despite Henderson's claim to being the fastest-growing city with more than 100,000 population, City Manager Philip Speight said it will be difficult for the city to hold that distinction, although it will continue to be very high on the list.

That is true if North Las Vegas' population growth is any indication. The city at the top of the valley grew in the past year by 14.7 percent -- compared to Henderson's growth rate of 7.8 percent -- for a total nearing 103,000.

In addition to an influx of residents, both cities saw increased economic development.

Henderson's number of building permits increased by 11.5 percent over 1997 for a total of 18,075, according to Speight, who added he does not see a slowdown in the near future.

"With four new hotels opening (in the next year in the Las Vegas Valley), we still have a number of issues that can be attributed to that growth," Speight said.

The city also saw an almost 22 percent increase in business licenses for a total of 10,493.

In North Las Vegas, Home Depot's District Manager Matthew Young focused on the city as a new frontier for commercial development in his keynote speech.

Since January 1998, North Las Vegas has added 1.1 million square feet of commercial development. The city also saw a 31 percent increase in the valuation of building permits and a 14 percent increase in new business licenses.

"North Las Vegas is truly a city on the move and the last frontier in Southern Nevada," Montandon said.

That frontier includes the city's plan to acquire 7,500 Bureau of Land Management acres on the city's north side to be developed into a master-planned community.

Henderson also has plans to annex about 6,000 acres southwest of its limits in order to continue growing.