Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Mayor Goodman, Anthony wrangle over stadium issue in radio debate

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman speaks during the 2014 Las Vegas State of the City address at City Hall on Thursday evening.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman speaks during the 2014 Las Vegas State of the City address at City Hall on Thursday evening.

StavrosAnthony

StavrosAnthony

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman launched her first attack against challenger City Councilman Stavros Anthony this morning when she accused the former Metro Police officer of “living off the public dole.”

Goodman made the comment during a debate on Alan Stock’s radio show on KDWN. It was the first time Goodman and Anthony have faced off as opponents in the race for mayor after four years sitting next to each other on the City Council.

Goodman was attempting to show hypocrisy in Anthony’s opposition to using public dollars for a controversial downtown soccer stadium when she pointed out Anthony had been paid with taxpayer dollars during his 29-year career with Metro. He continues to draw a $147,000-a-year pension, according to records from Transparent Nevada.

“Those are public dollars,” Goodman said of his salary and pension.

Anthony is “using tax dollars and living off them and then not wanting to use tax dollars for the redevelopment of a community,” she said.

Anthony said he was shocked by Goodman comparing his salary as a public employee to using public dollars for a private development.

“I don’t know how to respond to that,” he said.

Goodman later attempted to downplay the statement, calling it a “great misunderstanding” after a caller to the radio show pressed her on whether her statements about Anthony apply to all police officers.

Goodman said her comments were specific to Anthony, and she called herself a “devotee” of the local police and fire departments.

Much of the 90-minute conversation focused on the failed plan to build a $200 million soccer stadium at Symphony Park using $100 million in city funds and land.

Goodman, seeking a second term as mayor, was a vocal advocate for the project, saying it would boost tourism downtown and help grow the city’s economy.

Anthony, who’s been on the council for six years, consistently opposed public funding for the project.

“How are we going to spend our tax dollars the next four years?” Anthony said. “Are we going to spend it on giving it to private developers to build stuff downtown or are we going to use it for police officers and firefighters and parks?”

When asked about other areas in which he disagreed with Goodman, Anthony struggled, listing the soccer stadium and the decision not to put it on the ballot for voters to decide as points of dissension, before diverging to talk about the city’s medical district, cleaning up Fremont Street and tackling the city’s homeless issues.

Goodman and Anthony have six weeks to get their message out to voters before the April 7 primary. If either gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a likely possibility with only two high-profile contenders in the race, they’d win the contest outright without the need for a general election.

Political newcomers Phil Cory and Abdul Shabazz have also filed to run for mayor but didn’t participate in today’s debate.

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