Three file for special LV City Council election

Tuesday, May 18, 2004 | 10:53 a.m.

And they're off, running in the political equivalent of the 100-yard dash.

Three first-time candidates filed on Monday for the empty Ward 2 seat on the Las Vegas City Council, the opening day of a three-day filing period before the special election five weeks away.

Attorney Steve Wolfson, Citibank officer Steve Greco and Firouzeh Forouzmand, coordinator of the Clark County Library District Performing Arts Center, are competing for the seat left open by former councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald. Boggs McDonald resigned from the position when Gov. Kenny Guinn appointed her to fill an empty seat on the Clark County Commission.

Council members last week approved a special election to replace Boggs McDonald. The election will be June 22. Candidates have until Wednesday to file to run for the job.

Wolfson, 50, said he was running because of his concern for "quality of life" issues including air quality, traffic and public safety.

"I feel very strongly about some of the issues that are facing all of us here as residents in this valley," said Wolfson, a 24-year-resident.

A private attorney for 16 years, Wolfson previously worked in the Clark County district attorney's office for six years and as a federal prosecutor for two years.

Wolfson, who had two fund-raisers planned for this week, said the needs of the citizens will come first if he is elected.

"For me, the first question on any issue is going to be: How will this affect the citizens of Ward 2 and all citizens of Las Vegas," Wolfson said.

Greco, 45, also said he was running to improve the quality of life in Las Vegas, He said he would do that by balancing growth, protecting water and other resources and carefully guiding the city's investment in infrastructure.

"I want to make a difference," Greco said. "I'm currently very active in the community. I'm a face that people already know." Greco said he oversees nearly 15,000 homes from his elected position on the Summerlin North Board of Directors, one of his many community positions in Summerlin. More recently, Mayor Oscar Goodman appointed Greco to the Las Vegas Child Care Licensing Board at the recommendation of Boggs McDonald.

Greco said he would carry on Boggs McDonald's legacy of accessibility if elected to the position and noted that he has a Web site, stevejgreco.com.

The financial officer moved to Summerlin in 2001 from Illinois, where he was also active in his community. There, Greco served on the local library and school boards, he said.

Forouzmand, 42, said she is running for the position because she wants "to be able to make a difference in the community where I live, and to set an example for my children."

A native of Iran, Forouzmand moved to Texas with her family at age 11. She's been in Las Vegas for the last 10 years.

Forouzmand said her background made her extremely aware of womens and children's issues and the need for equal rights.

"I don't think anyone should take rights for granted," Forouzmand said. "They are very dear and we should respect them."

Forouzmand has a bachelor's degree in French and business from the University of North Texas. She said she has 20 years of supervisory experience that came first with her family's small business and later in hotel management.

She currently coordinates performances, cultural events and educational opportunities offered by the Clark County Library District. Forouzmand said her job involves listening to the needs of the community and then adapting the programming to those needs.