LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The leaders of Nevada's first, second and third-largest cities on Tuesday all said the future is bright for Southern Nevada, despite a recent drop in tourism and gambling revenue numbers.
Shelley Berkley, of Las Vegas, Michelle Romero, of Henderson and Pamela Goynes-Brown of North Las Vegas all spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Vegas Chamber Tuesday.
VIDEO: Steve Sebelius reports from the Las Vegas Chamber
The event was moderated by Vegas Chamber President Mary Beth Sewald and Chamber board President Janice Uthman.
Berkley acknowledged the economic slowdown the valley is seeing right now, but predicted that will fade in the face of growth in the region.
"But we are doing very well and the next 10 years are going to see explosive growth," Berkley told the audience of about 500 at the Orleans hotel-casino. "I think our best years are ahead of us, and I'm looking forward to being at the helm of a city that I grew up in."
Berkley touted a new civic plaza built beside the existing City Hall that will soon be home to the Vegas Chamber, Workforce Connection and perhaps other community groups as well. The city's business licensing will also be consolidated in the new plaza, she said.
Berkley also welcomed funding for a 40-bed recuperative care center and a future expansion of the city's Medical District, which is already home to University Medical Center, the UNLV medical school and medical offices for some of the city's top doctors.
In North Las Vegas, Goynes-Brown said the city had just finished a community plan that will shape its growth for years to come. She pointed to projects, including a multi-use residential, shopping and sports complex being built right now on the site of the old Texas Station hotel-casino as an example.
She also pointed to the Apex industrial park, long believed to be Southern Nevada's answer to Northern Nevada's Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, which is home to businesses including the Tesla battery gigafactory.
"The vision and the goal was to build a complete city," she said. "And with our strategic plan, all that encompasses a complete city: Great communities, safe neighborhoods, fantastic shopping, all amenities right there within our city boundaries. And that's our goal."
Goynes-Brown previously served on the North Las Vegas City Council, so she's limited to just one term as mayor and will leave office in early 2027, following the 2026 elections. Councilman Scott Black and Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D-Clark County, are vying for her job in next year's elections.
In Henderson, Mayor Michelle Romero said she was excited about education, noting the city has sponsored its first charter school, something authorized by the Legislature in 2023. Three other charter applications are still pending, she said.
"As I said before, education is something that is so important to the residents of Henderson; it's something that they bring forward every time as one of their top priorities," Romero said. "We're very, very excited about all the progress that's being made with education, we're excited about the things happening at [the Clark County School District] and the new superintendent [Jhone Ebert] and all she's bringing to the table. So the future's looking very bright for education."
Romero said the city devotes a portion of its marijuana tax money and redevelopment funds to grants for education, and she applauded a change in state law that will eventually allow Clark County school board trustees who are appointed by local governments to have voting powers.
Sewald noted the fact that everyone on stage was a woman. (The state has a female-majority Legislature, a female majority on the state Supreme Court and its largest cities — including Reno — are led by women.) What's different about female leadership? she asked.
Goynes-Brown said she believes women bring a more level-headed, contemplative demeanor to the job, although she said women have to stand taller and demand a little more respect than men do. She said she tries to calmly evaluate each idea to see if it's good for the city.
Berkley said gender didn't matter. "Do your damn job and everything will be fine," she said. "You're elected to do a job, so you do your job to the best of your ability."
Romero said she doesn't like drama, although the usually sedate Henderson council has seen some spats emerge into public view in recent days. "Leave out the drama. Leave out the egos," Romero said. If a proposal is good for her family, she added, it will probably be good for other people's families, too.
All the mayors embraced the idea of a new Southern Nevada airport in the Ivanpah Valley that's been planned for a long time. They also backed a fuel tax indexing bill that will allow gasoline taxes to rise to pay for road projects all around the valley. And they all said that being mayor was the best job they'd ever had.
"Best job ever," Romero said.
