Budget cuts to be discussed at NLV town hall meetings

By Erin Dostal

Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

The North Las Vegas City Council will conduct a series of town hall meetings to discuss the city’s financial status and other priorities.

This is the second series of town hall meetings the council has held this year. The first was held in the spring and focused mainly on the state of the city’s budget, said city spokeswoman Juliet Casey.

“This one will be focused on the budget and services,” she said. “It will be a little bit broader.”

The city council used to hold only one series a year, Casey said. Because council members wanted to stay in tune with their constituents, the council decided to hold more, she said.

“More than anything, they want to do it because they want to be accessible and they want to be in touch,” she said.

Part of the goal of the meetings, she said, is to ask residents “if we had to cut something, where would you be willing to give?”

During the next fiscal year, the city likely will have to make about $40 million in budget cuts.

“We are going to have to make some pretty painful decisions based on cuts,” Casey said.

Mayor Shari Buck will hold the first of the five meetings at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Mojave High School theater, 5202 Goldfield St.

Mayor Pro Tem William E. Robinson, who represents Ward 2, will hold his meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Nevada Partners Event Center, 710 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Anita Wood will hold her meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at Goynes Elementary School, 3409 Deer Springs Way.

Ward 4 Councilman Richard Cherchio will hold his town hall at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Elizondo Elementary School, 4865 Goldfield St.

Ward 5 Councilman Robert Eliason will hold his meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at Johnston Middle School, 5855 N. Lawrence St.