Henderson: Growth leading election issues

Lisa Snedeker

Wednesday, March 31, 1999 | 11:26 a.m.

It should come as no surprise that the No. 1 issue in the coming Henderson municipal election will be how to handle the city's growth.

That's if questions asked by some of the more than 125 residents who turned out for Tuesday's meet-the-candidates forum are any indication.

Among the questions: Who should pay for growth, developers or residents?

The candidates for City Council in attendance agreed that growth should pay for growth in the community with one of the lowest tax bases in the state. All said developers should pay for additional infrastructure costs and improvements such as parks.

Other issues included diversifying the bedroom community's job opportunities for residents, zoning and providing a police training facility for officers in Henderson.

While all of the candidates supported legislative proposals for a four-year college in Henderson and deconsolidation of Clark County schools in concept, some said they would first need to see a cost-benefit analysis and how much taxes would be raised before wholeheartedly getting behind the proposals.

Known as the fastest-growing city in the nation, Henderson's population is estimated at more than 170,000.

The race for three council seats became interesting when two-term Councilman David Wood announced he would not seek re-election to his Ward 4 seat. There is also a race for a municipal judge post.

Among the nine candidates are incumbents Amanda Cyphers, Ward 1, and Andy Hafen, Ward 2.

Steve Kirk, chairman of the city's Parks and Recreation Board, and Guy VanWyck have filed for Wood's seat.

Elizabeth Trosper, Debra Lemancik-Grant and Fred Pratt, who did not attend the forum, are running against Cyphers, who is running for her second term.

Ann Barron, former economic development director for the city, and William Brandt, who also was not present, are running against Hafen, who is seeking his fourth term.

All council members run at large, but they must live in the ward where they run. The nonpartisan seats are for four years.

Three candidates are challenging Department 2 Municipal Judge John Provost for his post: Matthew Dushoff, James Carlson and Lloyd Bair.

All agreed that Municipal Court is not exempt from the problems the city's quick growth rate has created.

The forum was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Ben Stepman Hyundai. Stepman, who made the phrase "in Henderson, of course," famous locally, is currently hospitalized following complications from surgery.

The next candidates night, moderated by KLAS Channel 8 anchorman Gary Waddell, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday at Frank Lamping Elementary School, 2551 Summit Grove Drive.