Brian Jones/Las Vegas News Bureau
Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese and Mayor Oscar Goodman make a final toast to their terms at Fremont Street Experience on June 15, 2011.
Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 1:46 p.m.
After serving 12 years as the mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman gave his last news conference Thursday before he swears in the new mayor, his wife, Carolyn Goodman, in two weeks.
The colorful mayor, who started off as a Mob lawyer and went on to serve the city for three four-year terms, says his staff is sad about moving out of the office, but he’s ready for his upcoming job, working for the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority.
“I’m looking forward to my next life,” Goodman told reporters gathered at City Hall. “I’ll be doing a part-time job as the brand of Las Vegas of behalf of the convention authority with the showgirls and the booze, promoting tourism.”
But that’s not all the former mayor will be doing. His extensive list of things to do includes writing a book, appearing in a cameo in a "CSI: Las Vegas" episode next season and starring in a documentary film about his life that may turn into a reality show. He says the shooting on that project will start at his wife’s inauguration.
As he prepares to leave office on July 6, Goodman says he’s proud of several projects he has helped see through, including the acquisition of 61 acres of former Union Pacific railway land now known as Symphony Park — which he calls the “jewel of the desert ” — without resorting to eminent domain.
What he hopes to see in the future is his wife, as the new mayor, bringing real medical tourism and a wellness center to the city, making Las Vegas a leading destination for medical care.
Also, the outgoing mayor hasn’t yet given up on the sports arena he has tried for so hard to bring to the city.
“I hope that the shovel will turn and the NBA will have Carolyn Goodman next to them when they announce an NBA franchise here,” Goodman said.
Regardless, the soon-to-be former mayor says he can look back fondly of his 12 years at the city's helm.
“Every day has been wonderful,” Goodman said. “I don’t have one regret. I’ve done everything the way I wanted to do it.
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