Former North Las Vegas Mayor Cleland dies at 81

Monday, April 1, 2002 | 8:18 a.m.

C.R. "Bud" Cleland, former North Las Vegas mayor and councilman who was a controversial figure during his terms, has died. He was 81.

"Bud Cleland was a matter-of-fact guy," Former Las Vegas City Manager Ashley Hall said. "He told you the way he saw it."

Cleland, who came to Southern Nevada in 1960 as a developer, oversaw some of the city's early rapid growth. Hall said Cleland was concerned about regional issues such as flood control, an issue that became critical as the area grew.

"He took a dirty, dusty town and put in streets with little or no money," recalled former state Sen. Tom Hickey of North Las Vegas. "He was maligned as a mayor and all respect should be shown him."

Cleland's political career saw him survive three criminal investigations without a conviction.

Born Jan. 11, 1921, in Gainesville, Fla., Cleland worked in California before coming to Las Vegas to supervise construction.

Cleland was elected to the North Las Vegas City Council in 1965 and also served as president of the Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association in the mid-1960s.

He was indicted in 1966 on charges of making a false statement to the Federal Housing Administration while he tried to sell a North Las Vegas home. The charges were dismissed that June.

He served a second term as councilman and became mayor in 1973, when Mayor Gene Echols resigned to accept a state Senate seat.

As mayor, Cleland was criticized by police officers and firefighters for holding back raises as the city dealt with budget shortfalls.

"We almost lost our business because he went to 18 regular meetings a month," said his wife of 50 years, Alma. "That was his job, and he understood it."

Voters removed him in a recall in 1976. Later that year a Clark County grand jury investigated and cleared him of wrongdoing over a vote to construct a sewer line near property that he owned.

He continued developing affordable homes after his political career, Alma Cleland said.

In addition to his wife, Cleland is survived by daughters Kathleen Caldwell and Christine Callaghan; brothers Charles and Bill; sister Mary V. Barling; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, all of Las Vegas.

Services were private. Cleland will be buried in Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Boulder City.