State of County address depicts a fiscal and cultural balancing act

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2000 | 11:14 a.m.

Keeping up with growth has been a great challenge, but the Clark County government has done a commendable job improving residents' quality of life, County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury said in his "State of the County" speech Tuesday.

Woodbury barely touched on the county's financial state, saying only that it has the highest bond rating in the state.

And while Woodbury emphasized that one of the county's top priorities is to create an environmental action plan that will "meet and exceed" the Environmental Protection Agency's requirements, he failed to mention the Las Vegas Valley's current troubles with the federal agency.

Woodbury said the amount of carbon monoxide in the air has decreased significantly, and that in 1999 federal air quality standards were not violated once.

Last month, however, the EPA issued a letter calling the valley's regional plan for controlling carbon monoxide emissions inadequate. In fact if a new plan is not submitted and approved by the EPA by year's end, the region could be stripped of its federal highway funding.

Woodbury said fighting air pollution with the growing number of vehicles in the valley is "almost impossible." In 1990, 500,000 vehicles were registered in Clark County -- this year that number has jumped to 900,000.

The county government is striving to keep taxes low, manage growth and address the needs of the tourism industry as well as focus on issues in both rural and urban neighborhoods.

A video presentation hosted by county spokesman Doug Bradford touched on the county's successful projects during the last year.

The video brought attention to the new Regional Justice Center and the $27 million expansion to the county's Family and Youth Services Center. It also highlighted the county's award-winning Internet site and the county's early voting program.

"I think it is quite evident from everything discussed here today that the state of our county can be summed up quite simply as strong and challenging," Woodbury said. "And I believe I speak for the entire board when I say that we are extremely proud to be a part of an organization that consistently pursues the attainment of excellence."

During the upcoming year, Woodbury said, the county will build four new Metro Police substations and two new fire stations. Two new quick-care clinics and a primary care clinic will also be constructed.