Las Vegas City Council candidates share ideas at NAACP forum
Job training programs, safer neighborhoods and a community garden are among the ideas some Las Vegas City Council hopefuls have for a richer Ward 5 in five years.
Eight of the 11 candidates vying to represent the city’s Ward 5 participated in a Las Vegas NAACP-sponsored forum Saturday afternoon, and they had varied answers for how they envision the ward in five years.
The contenders agreed Ward 5, which includes some key sites such as the Las Vegas-owned downtown Symphony Park and Cashman Center, is lagging behind other parts of the city when it comes to economic development.
Cedric Crear wants to change that, in part with job training and placement programs for residents.
“We’re going to shift, we’re going to change the course of the river,” said Crear, a Las Vegas planning commissioner.
Former Nevada Assemblyman Harvey Munford, an advocate for the redevelopment of the historic former Moulin Rouge site on Bonanza Road, said a large-scale anchor project can help draw other businesses in to the area.
“We need a big project,” Munford said. “Something to attract to our community, to bring people to move back into our community.”
Shondra Summers-Armstrong, an accounting technician at the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, called for better use of public dollars on projects that could prop up Ward 5. She also would advocate for minority- and women-owned businesses.
“I don’t see our black businesses being represented as they should be,” Summers-Armstrong said. “Is it because we don’t have the skill set? Or are we being marginalized?”
Sheila Collins, founder of the Girlfriends Who Inspire Change organization, said that as a councilwoman, she would work with the private sector.
“My plan is to work with private entities to empower entrepreneurs and on job creation,” Collins said.
Walter Jones III favors a grassroots approach to improving and stirring interest in the ward.
“We need to start fixing up our areas,” Jones said. “We’re looking for handouts when it starts with us, if we’re going to bring anything in here.”
Randy Voyard said he would work to remove some of the obstacles for Ward 5 businesses.
“Stop trying to put things in peoples’ way when they’re trying to make it in this world,” Voyard said.
Patricia Messinger, a real estate agent, said she would push for zoning changes that would make it easier for businesses to locate in Ward 5.
Timothy Hicks wants to create a series of strategic planning committees to address issues like career training, affordable housing and social services.
“You all will sit there with me and we will tackle those problems together,” Hicks said.
A panel posed questions to the eight contenders about how they would advocate for African-Americans in Las Vegas, addressing homelessness and the handling of the controversial closure of F Street between downtown and West Las Vegas.
Curtis Coleman, Shannon Hopkins and Joe Mitchell are the other three candidates running for the seat; none of the three attended Saturday’s forum.
Former councilman Ricki Barlow resigned his seat Jan. 22, announcing in a news conference he had misused campaign funds from his 2015 re-election effort. Barlow pleaded guilty last month to a felony wire fraud charge. His sentencing is scheduled for May.
The Ward 5 council seat has been vacant since Barlow stepped down. Early voting in the Ward 5 contest starts March 22, and the special election is slated for March 27. The winner of the race will be sworn in April 18.
Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @Journo_Jamie_ on Twitter.
Next forum
The NAACP will hold a second candidate forum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 21 at Victory Missionary Baptist Church on West Monroe Avenue in Las Vegas. The forum is open to the public.
