Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Las Vegas mayor considers options after leaving office next year

Goodman tells reporters ‘I’ve been lucky. I’ve really been blessed’

Oscar Goodman

Paul Takahashi

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman talks to reporters Thursday at his weekly press conference at City Hall. Goodman said he has lots of options next year after being term-limited out of the office he will have held for 12 years — such as being in a reality TV show, promoting the city and even opening his own speakeasy.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman may be retiring next year, but he doesn’t plan to stop having fun, he told reporters Thursday.

“I’m going to have a good time whatever I do,” Goodman said during his weekly press conference. “I’ve been lucky. I’ve really been blessed. I don’t think there’s another elected official in the world who has been able to have as much fun.”

The 71-year-old mayor, who cannot run again because of term limits, is undecided about life after being the mayor of Sin City for 12 years.

It’s not for a lack of ideas however. Goodman says he has been bombarded with requests from reality television shows and groups who want him to keep promoting the city. The larger-than-life mayor does have one longtime dream though: to open a speakeasy.

“If I get this on, I’ll have a lot of beautiful women, which I think is a wonderful thing,” he said. “The drinks will be the biggest in town, I promise you that. And the food will be fair.”

Goodman, who was at the grand opening celebration for three new downtown establishments Wednesday night, said he would like to see his legacy of revitalizing Fremont Street continue with his successor.

“I would not support anybody who didn’t put at the forefront continuing what we’ve been trying to do the last 12 years,” he said. “We’ve got some wonderful projects downtown. I’m not trying to say it’s perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Goodman said he was surprised with the number of people clamoring for his job.

Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown announced he would enter the race on Wednesday, joining Las Vegas Councilmen Steve Ross. Goodman did not deny speculations that his wife, Carolyn, who retired from the Meadows School in June, might run for mayor.

“I wouldn’t want the job unless I was Oscar,” Goodman said. “Who wants to worry about the budget, who wants to spend sleepless nights terminating employees because of the economy? Who wants to do all of the hard things we do every single day?

“I would’ve hated that if that was all there was to it,” he continued. “But I’ve been able to have fun doing it too. … I love the job. I love Las Vegas. I love being the mayor of Las Vegas. I’m going to miss it terribly.”

When asked by a reporter what advice he’d leave behind for his successor, he said: “I’d probably say the key to the bar is in the left hand drawer. … There will not be one bottle left behind, I promise you that.”

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