Mayor might be leaving office, but won’t leave Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Thursday, April 21, 2011 | 12:49 p.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says there are a lot of possibilities arising for him once he leaves office after 12 years — but hiring a moving van won't be one of them.

"The most that will happen is I get on a plane to fly some place for an hour," Goodman told reporters Thursday at his regular weekly press conference.

"I would not leave this community. Nothing would make me leave this community," he said. "I love Las Vegas."

Asked specifically if Las Vegas would lose him to LA, Goodman bluntly said "No. You're not going to lose me to LAX, that's for sure."

The mayor, whose three, four-year terms will end shortly after the June 2 city election, said he has been considering lots of possibilities.

Those include "jobs that would pay almost obscene amounts of money" working in law firms to positions in the TV and film industry, he said.

He has traveled to Hollywood to talk to a talent agency about a syndicated TV show.

"I wrote a little outline for a television series myself over the Christmas vacation and apparently that's being circulated, and I might be an executive producer down there, which would be fun," he said.

Details of Goodman's latest job opportunity arose at a meeting Thursday morning. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has talked with him about a potential spot as the ambassador to Las Vegas. He is now chairman of the LVCVA.

"It would basically be promoting tourism," Goodman said. "It would not be an insignificant position. I told them that I'm not going to be a caricature of myself. I wouldn't be interested in that. I want it to be serious. I want it to help the community. If we work it out it would have to be something that would be mutually satisfactory to me and to them.

"To me, our discussion was very enticing because I love the community here and it would give me an opportunity to continue trying to promote the community, which they think I do better than anybody else."

Before making his next career move, Goodman said he wanted to first see what's in store for his wife.

Carolyn Goodman is running to succeed her husband as mayor in the June 2 city election. She faces Clark County Commissioner Chris Guinchigliani.

"Whatever I'm doing I want to be hand in glove with that, so we can enjoy each other and not be going in separate directions," the mayor said. "We're putting all the decisions off until the day after the election. And then I'll make some serious decisions."

Goodman said what's been great about having a long professional career and serving as mayor is that he knows his career still has legs.

"There will be showgirls in my future life, I promise you," he said. "And there will be more pictures with libations in hand."