Kincaid, Smith debate on POV

Adrienne Packer

Friday, Aug. 18, 2000 | 4:26 a.m.

In the first face-to-face meeting, Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid and her opponent Stephanie Smith discussed issues Friday that have dominated a contentious District B primary race.

The two were the first commissioners to appear on a series of informal debates scheduled to air on Point of View Vegas, Las Vegas One's afternoon news information show.

Smith, a North Las Vegas City councilwoman who oversees much of the same territory as Kincaid, claimed the incumbent commissioner has not met the district's needs in her first four years.

The music teacher said the district is underserved in parks and road repairs.

She also suggested that Kincaid's vote can be bought, citing a $10,000 campaign contribution from Wal-Mart after Kincaid voted against a union-supported measure that would have banned the retail giant's Supercenter stores.

Kincaid, clearly angered by Smith's insinuation, swung around in her chair and for the first time addressed her opponent head-on.

"You are the first person to question my integrity in my 20 years of politics," Kincaid said. "I don't appreciate my name being besmirched."

Kincaid pointed out that the culinary union, which co-wrote the anti-Wal-Mart ordinance, had endorsed her and contributed thousands of dollars to her campaign in the past. If her vote was for sale, she said, she would have voted for the ordinance.

Kincaid said it is difficult to find land in her older district to build parks, but she has worked with commissioners in neighboring districts to construct facilities that serve her constituents.

The incumbent also said she helped put 500 more police officers on the street and plans to build more police substations and fire stations in her district.

Smith said she hasn't had any difficulty finding land in the same district to build her parks.

Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone is scheduled to face his primary opponent Chip Maxfield in POV's next commission debate to be aired Aug. 25 on channels 1 and 39.