Brown defends vote on auto dealership

Diana Sahagun

Monday, July 9, 2001 | 11:05 a.m.

Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown is trying to distance himself from fellow Councilman Michael Mack as the two have found themselves paired in ethics complaints and a lawsuit over their vote on a proposed car dealership.

The suit alleges they tried to broker a deal between two competing car dealers, and seeks their removal from office.

Brown says he did nothing wrong by voting twice to deny a Nissan dealership outside the Town Center limits.

The usually quiet Brown, who tends to shy away from the media, took his case to reporters last week, after the City Council's heated reconsideration and ultimate denial of a Nissan dealership on Rancho Drive proposed by John Staluppi.

During the public hearing and afterward, in the courtyard of City Hall, Brown defended his decision and said he has consistently voted against projects that would hurt Town Center, an area designated by the city for commercial development in the fast-growing northwest.

Mack requested the reconsideration last week after discovering he had an outstanding $60,000 loan from rival car dealer Joseph Scala, who owns land in Town Center on which the city would like to see an auto mall built. Mack said he thought the loan had been paid off. He asked the item to be reconsidered Thursday so he could abstain, but he was absent from the meeting.

Brown admits that the controversy swirling around Mack's vote tarnished him as well.

During testimony at Thursday's council meeting, Brown cautioned Mike Bellon, who represents Staluppi, about joining the councilmen's names in accusations.

"Be very careful about how you use our names together," Brown said. "The accusations you've made in the last two weeks have been very vague."

The lawsuit alleges Mack promised Staluppi and Bellon that the dealership would be approved even though it was outside the Town Center limits. But when the item came before the council last month, Mack voted against it, saying it was incompatible with the intent of Town Center.

The lawsuit alleges Mack changed his mind and voted to deny the project because of pressure from Scala.

It also alleges Brown tried to broker a deal between Scala and Staluppi. But Brown said he had nothing to do with the proposed dealership, and that the lawsuit contains "blatant lies."

According to a complaint Bellon filed with the Las Vegas Ethics Commission and Nevada Ethics Commission, Brown called him on a Friday from the Badlands golf course to convey new price negotiations from Scala.

Brown denies calling Bellon, but said Bellon called him. Brown met with Bellon only once informally, and he says Bellon never asked him to support the proposed dealership.

Brown said he is comfortable facing the lawsuit and ethics complaint, because the evidence will show his voting record favors development in Town Center and not allowing commercial uses to spread into neighboring areas.

"Attorneys can say what they wish to say and make accusations, but I feel very comfortable that my four years of Town Center decision-making and policy-making have been very consistent," he said. "The whole concept is to protect neighborhoods."