Delivering the 12th annual State of the City address, Jan. 10, to a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 800, North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon likened his city to the great Greek societies of old.

As the city has reached signature milestones in providing attainable housing, jobs and education, he said it can now concentrate on elevating quality of life in the arts, education, recreation and health care for residents, placing the higher functions of a city at the center of its present reality rather than as merely a far off dream.