Councilwoman Goynes-Brown is no-show at NLV mayor’s race debate

Two lawmakers running to become the first Black mayor in North Las Vegas history were invited to a Thursday debate — only one of them showed up.

Both Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown and Nev. Sen. Pat Spearman were told about the event — hosted by the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Clark County’s Black Caucus — in late September, according to organizers.

ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Athar Haseebullah said Goynes-Brown never replied to the inquiry.

In a statement sent Friday morning, Goynes-Brown’s campaign manager wrote that the candidate was “unable to attend” the debate.

“While we’re unsure why they went ahead without the Mayor Pro Tem, we are sure the voters will see through this stunt and recognize Pamela for pulling North Las Vegas out of near-bankruptcy and restoring vital public safety services,” Jim Ferrence said.

The candidates are vying to replace outgoing Mayor John Lee, who opted out of re-election when he decided to run for the Republican nominee for governor, a bid he lost.

“When I got the invitation, I immediately responded,” Spearman told the crowd of about 50. “And I immediately responded because I think that debates are the purest form, and the best way, to get information to the constituents that you want to represent so that they understand who you are, what you stand for and what’s at stake in their future.”

Spearman then spent the next hour or so laying out her future for North Las Vegas should she be elected Nov. 8.

She fielded questions on public safety, inflation, education, diversifying the city’s economy and workforce, and transparency.

But when asked what her three top priorities were, she replied, “Affordable housing; affordable housing; affordable housing.”

Spearman took a swipe at the City Council, which backed the city’s clerk in denying an effort by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 to put rent control on the November ballot. Goynes-Brown said that she supports rent control, and that the rejection was not about the policy, but about whether ballot organizers had enough signatures.

Spearman said the measure could’ve moved forward had the councilwoman sided with it.

“If the city is not going to do it, then the people should have an opportunity to come up with a plan to do that,” the state senator said. “We can’t do anything else until we solve this crisis.”

She pledged to act in her first 3o days to “assemble a team” to examine affordable housing, to act on proposals shortly after.

Spearman contended that the city is not leveraging its partnerships or state and federal funding, or even its own funding, to the best of its ability to address many of the issues.

If the city hasn’t spent those dollars, she said, “that is dereliction of duty, and when you’re derelict in your duty, you’re not asking for a promotion, you’re asking for a pink slip.”

Spearman said she would implement a forward-looking approach to diversify the city’s workforce and stay on top of technological advances.

Spearman would take a careful look at budgets and bring transparency to all the money the city spends, particularly on lawsuits.

And when the council examines proposals, “we cannot vote on anything that will allow us to (personally) profit financially or any other way,” she said.

As a condition for voting for development projects, she would ask applicants to make sure plans for public schooling are included in the proposals.

Spearman said she wants to see safer sidewalks, bus stops, and a mass transit system that accommodates all.

A U.S. Army veteran with experience as a military police officer, Spearman said she wants firefighters, medics, and police to partner up more with law enforcement issues.

For diverse North Las Vegas, she wants police officers to be culturally competent, and for the police department, which the city funds, to practice accountability and zero tolerance for misbehaved staffers.

“If you have something against Black folks, you have no reason to be wearing a badge,” she said as an example.

Early voting in Clark County begins on Oct. 22.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickytwrites.