NLV finance director Vaitkus dies

Thursday, Sept. 12, 2002 | 9:32 a.m.

Vytas Vaitkus did not seek the fanfare he received for digging the city of North Las Vegas out of many a financial hole.

The city's finance director for 19 years simply was satisfied that he got the numbers right and kept everyone from department heads to city fathers from spending taxpayer money in ways that were not prudent.

Vaitkus was not present in February when the North Las Vegas City Council announced it had avoided a financial shortfall in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The council gave a good measure of the credit to Vaitkus.

He was in the third month of a valiant battle against cancer that had forced him to resign.

Vaitkus, the son of poor, hard-working immigrants who helped guide the financial destiny of one of America's fastest-growing cities through the period of its most rapid growth, died Monday of cancer at his home. He was 51.

Services will be 3 p.m. Sunday at Palm Mortuary-Downtown.

"He certainly was the best finance director our city ever had," said Councilman William Robinson, who has been at that elected post for 19 years and was a close friend of Vaitkus during that period.

"Vytas was a very frugal person in his financial dealings. He would never let the city spend taxpayer money in a way that did not benefit the community. He pulled all of the purse strings, but he also was flexible in finding funds for infrastructure and other needs."

Other city officials expressed similar thoughts.

"There were times when the city struggled with its finances, and one of the main reasons we weathered those storms was because of Vytas' excellent financial management skills," said his boss, North Las Vegas City Manager Kurt Fritsch.

"He was easy to talk to, he gave excellent personal and professional advice and he had a tremendous sense of history about this community."

North Las Vegas City Clerk Eileen Sevigny said she will never forget Vaitkus' people skills in the workplace.

"Vytas had a style all his own," she said. "He was a big man with a loud, booming voice and a vibrant personality."

At the February mid-year budget review, it was learned that the city had done so well financially during the turbulent post-Sept. 11 recession that it had about $3.4 million left over from the 2000-2001 fiscal year.

"God Bless Vytas Vaitkus," Councilwoman Shari Buck said at the meeting, noting that Vaitkus' conservative budgeting had kept the city in good shape despite a drop in sales tax and other revenue after the terrorist attacks.

Reached at his home after the meeting, Vaitkus humbly told a Sun reporter: "The city of North Las Vegas has been very good to me. I've done the best job I could. But now that's a phase that's behind me."

Born in Germany on Dec. 13, 1950, Vaitkus was one of three children of engineer Antanas Vaitkus and Margot Vaitkus, both of whom survive him and reside in San Jose, Calif.

Vytas Vaitkus told friends about how his parents came to the United States with just a camera and $12 in their pockets, yet worked hard and found success.

They settled in the Midwest and later moved to San Jose, where Vytas was raised. He graduated from San Jose State University and worked for the finance departments in Santa Clara County, Calif., and Carson City.

Vaitkus joined the city as finance director in 1983.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by two sisters, Birute Alava and Monika Buhisan, both of San Jose.

The family said donations can be made in Vaitkus' memory to the North Las Vegas Library.