Decision nears on adding wards

Erin Neff

Friday, Sept. 24, 1999 | 11:14 a.m.

News of a city study considering breaking up the Metropolitan Police Department may be stealing headlines, but the highly-political process of redistricting the city is proceeding quietly toward a possible climax in 12 days.

On Monday, the Las Vegas City Council will preside over a public hearing on the proposed addition of Wards 5 and 6 to the city's boundaries. If no changes to the map are recommended by the council after hearing public comment, the wards and possibly the council members to represent them could get final approval at the Oct. 6 council meeting.

But a survey of council members revealed the decision on the appointments might not be unanimous.

"Ideally, it would be great to have consensus," said Councilman Larry Brown. "But from a practical standpoint, I think there are enough qualified candidates for both Ward 5 and 6."

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald said she thought some comments made by council colleagues could also make the decision split.

For example, council members Michael McDonald and Gary Reese have stated they do not want to appoint someone who moves into a ward in order to qualify for appointment.

"To me if you want to get into politics, you should represent where you live," Reese said.

In a previous interview, McDonald called residents who move to qualify for appointment "carpetbaggers." He also proposed changing residency requirements from 30 days to one year.

McDonald could not be reached for comment Thursday on the appointments.

The anti-carpetbagger sentiment could spell trouble for would-be appointees Tom Collins, Michael Mack, Mujahid Ramadan and Fernando Romero.

Along the same lines, the appointments of city employees Orlando Sanchez and Lawrence Weekly to the wards might run into trouble.

"I have a slight problem appointing two city employees," Boggs McDonald said in a recent interview.

Many in City Hall consider Weekly the unofficial front-runner for the Ward 5 seat, which encompasses West Las Vegas and part of downtown.

Weekly, 35, is a ward liaison for Reese.

Even if Weekly's nomination for appointment passes with unanimous support, Reese will be abstaining because of his working relationship with Weekly.

Ramadan, 47, the executive director of the Nevada Partners job training center, is reportedly being hurt in the appointment process because of his decision to move from the city of North Las Vegas into Las Vegas' Ward 5.

Uri Clinton, 27, a mediation specialist for Clark County Social Services and a recent law school graduate, has won favorable comments from Mayor Oscar Goodman and others.

Others interested in the seat are: the Rev. Marion Bennett, 66, a former state assemblyman; Al Gallego, 62, a City Hall and Hispanic community activist, and Harvey Munford, 59, a community college instructor.

McDonald has been pushing for the appointments of Weekly and Sanchez.

Sanchez, 36, manager of the city's Building Services division, may not, however, have enough support from the rest of the council to overcome a major campaign by Mack for the Ward 6 seat.

Mack, also 36, a city planning commissioner who owns several pawn shops and souvenir stores, has talked repeatedly to Reese in an effort to sway his anti-carpetbagger sentiment.

Mack also has had numerous people write letters of support on his behalf.

The Ward 6 seat, however, also has drawn other residents to the process.

They include: Tom Collins, 49, a state assemblyman; David Chairez, 40, consumer outreach representative for the Public Utilities Commission; Lillian Jacobson, 46, a former Board of Zoning Adjustment member; Mike Malone, 67, a former state senator; Fernando Romero, 53, president of Hispanics in Politics; Louise Ruskamp, 41, vice president of the Tule Springs Community Association, and Jack Spencer, 30, a Metro Police officer.

Goodman said he will likely be prepared to make council appointments at the same meeting at which the ward map is finalized.

The public hearing on the proposed map will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday in the City Hall council chambers, 400 E. Stewart Ave.