Six candidates vying for Ward 4 seat

By Jeff Pope

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 | 12:33 p.m.

Six candidates have filed to represent Ward 4 on the Las Vegas City Council in the most congested race among the three contested council seats.

The primary election takes place April 7 and the general vote on June 2. The race is non-partisan.

The candidates are Stavros Anthony, a Metro police captain and university system regent; Sam Christos, a teacher, casino dealer and real estate agent; Gary Hosea, a Clark County employee; Yvonne Karim, a flight attendant; Teresa "Terrie" Price, a volunteer; and Glenn Trowbridge, a former Clark County official who chairs the Las Vegas Planning Commission.

Incumbent Steve Wolfson is unopposed in Ward 2.

In Ward 6, attorney Jennifer Taylor is challenging incumbent Steve Ross.

David Steinman occupies the Ward 4 seat following his appointment by the City Council. Larry Brown represented the ward for 12 years, but was elected to the Clark County Commission in November.

Steinman was sworn in on Jan. 7 with the understanding he would not run for the seat and will serve until someone is elected either in the primary or, if no one receives enough votes, the general election.

Anthony was elected in 2002 to the Board of Regents and has been with Metro Police since 1980. He currently heads the Financial Property Crimes Bureau.

He said his background in law enforcement will be a benefit to his constituents.

"That's probably my No. 1 priority in Ward 4 is to make sure the neighborhoods are kept safe," Anthony said. "Talking to people in Ward 4, that's really one of the big issues."

Christos, who teaches English at Cheyenne High School, is a part-time dealer and licensed Realtor. He joined the race because the early candidates were too conservative in their views and didn't represent the working class, he said.

However, Christos favors being fiscally conservative during the recession, which means putting projects like the new city hall on hold.

"If it creates jobs, I'm in favor of spending money, but I'm not 100 percent convinced that this (new city hall) will create jobs," he said. "Now is the time to be fiscally conservative unless it's going to create jobs or stimulate the economy."

Hosea, a 20-year Army veteran, has worked for the county for 10 years and runs a management consulting business.

He ran unsuccessfully last year to unseat County Commissioner Tom Collins, but said he believes his message of accountability and efficiency resonated with voters as he garnered 27 percent of the ballots.

The city should use its "bully pulpit" to improve the education system, which would encourage more businesses to relocate to Las Vegas.

"Our school system really hasn't improved and the only way we can bring in businesses, green or otherwise, is show them that we have a workforce that's capable," he said. "I'd like to see more redevelopment money used for after-school programs for kids that could keep them off the streets and out of gangs."

Hosea also said he would consider a corporate income tax as another source of revenue, wants increased enforcement on automobile registrations in Nevada and said the city could use vacant buildings to house the homeless.

Karim knows the economic struggles many residents are dealing with from personal experience. She was injured and out of work for more than a year, her husband lost his job in manufacturing, their house nearly went into foreclosure and they cared for her mother in their home for 22 years until she died on Feb. 6.

"I understand senior and senior health issues pretty well," she said. "You have to be an advocate. If you do not have an advocate, I don't care what age you are, you're going to be lost."

Along with senior issues, foreclosure help and renters' rights top her list of priorities. One area Karim wants addressed for renters is that they receive notification if the home they rent is in the foreclosure process.

Karim served as a delegate to the county and state Democratic conventions.

Price, a former casino dealer and tour guide, has worked behind the scenes in politics for about three decades.

She worked on the campaigns of her father, former Assemblyman Bob Price, who served 28 years, but herself ran for office just once, losing the Democratic nomination for Assembly District 37 in 2002.

She stayed active in politics, working to get the Clean Indoor Air Act passed in 2006.

Her priority is the economy and ensuring the city spends its money wisely.

She opposes the proposed new city hall because it isn't the kind of help struggling residents need now, she said.

"So many people are losing their jobs and losing their homes," she said. "Construction workers need jobs and everything shouldn't just stop. But there are certain things that you just don't need right now."

Trowbridge, an Air Force veteran, retired from Clark County in 2001 with more than 20 years combined experience as director of personnel and then parks departments.

Since then, he's worked with electrical workers unions, sits on the boards of several development organizations and the Clark County Credit Union and spent the past four years on the city Planning Commission.

The city should reevaluate the services it offers, placing the mandated ones ahead of discretionary offerings, he said.

But he hasn't ruled out the need for a new city hall.

"Talk has been going on where we now have the people's interest," he said. "I think there's a lot more talking that has to be done to separate the facts from the rumors. I think that can happen fairly promptly and we can make a decision so we can either go ahead with the project or decide we're not going to pursue that type of approach."

In Ward 4, one of Trowbridge's priorities is protecting property values. Enforcing owners to maintain foreclosed properties is only part of the threat to home values.

The candidates will be invited to the Sun City Summerlin Resident's Forum on March 11.

Jeff Pope can be reached at 990-2688 or [email protected]