WHO'S WHO IN NORTH LAS VEGAS: Planning for the future

Mayor, who had no dreams of politics, looks beyond his term limit

Gary Thompson/ViewNorth Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon plans to run for governor after leaving office later this year. North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon talks about his plans after he leaves office.Gary Thompson/View Advertisement

Growing up in the middle-class suburbs of Phoenix, North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon never dreamed of pursuing a career in politics. It just kind of ... happened.

"I always envisioned myself in a professional setting, but I had no real interest in politics on that level," he said.

After graduating from Arizona State University in 1990 with a degree in business finance, the already-married father of two entered the job market as a real estate agent.

"The market was bad in Arizona," he said. "I didn't want to leave. I was one of those people who was over-the-top proud of being a native. I was born there. I thought I would live my life and die there."

In 1992, Montandon was presented with a job opportunity that would bring him to Las Vegas.

"It was too good to pass up," he said.

The plan was to stay in Nevada for two years and hightail it back to Phoenix as soon as possible.

Things didn't work out as planned.

"Las Vegas really grew on me and my family," he said. "I bought a home in North Las Vegas, where the prices were much lower than in other regions of the valley. It turned out that we loved this place."

Montandon become involved in city government as a byproduct of his work and started to believe that he could be effective in the role of council member after just a few months of regularly attending city meetings.

"It was an election year," he said. "The mayoral seat was open. I really believed that I could do the job. That was it. I learned a lot from just listening to what happened in meetings. But, this guy, with no political experience, all of a sudden decided to run for mayor of North Las Vegas."

The self-proclaimed Arizona history buff was elected for his first term nearly 12 years ago with the idea that he really could make a difference.

"I feel like I have," he said. "I ran the first time and felt like I still had more to do. I ran again and won. This last election, I had the advantage of eight years of experience under my belt. Things look a bit different with that. I wanted to put what I'd learned to good use, so I ran again."

The mayoral position is part time, but Montandon said there's always work to be done. Spare time is almost non-existent for the avid hunter.

When not working as a full-time business development and government affairs consultant for Nevada Construction Services, Montandon said he's usually one of two places: spending time with his wife and five children or hiking mountain ranges in Las Vegas and Utah.

He also holds a real estate license.

"These days, that's like having a driver's license," he said. "It's just a piece of paper. I can't do a thing with it."

Montandon believes his legacy will unfold with the progression of the North 5th Street project, the completion of which is still more than a decade away. He cites the approval of the city's new wastewater treatment plant to be built at Nellis Air Force base, which was passed by the council late last year, as one of the accomplishments he's most proud of.

"I'm also proud of the increase in quality of life," he said. "With the building of new roadways, parks and libraries, I think that life for residents has become more enjoyable, easier, more relaxed with those amenities."

Councilman Robert Eliason said the mayor is a detail-oriented individual who really attempts to connect with community members.

"He cares about this city," Eliason said. "We all do. But I think there's something to be said for politicians who don't become jaded."

North Las Vegas resident Rolando Cruz said that Montandon's stewardship ushered in a great many new businesses developers interested in building homes.

"In my opinion, we are better today than we were 12 years ago," Cruz said.

Like most cities nationwide, the biggest challenge facing North Las Vegas is the economy, Montandon said.

The slumping market did not catch city officials unaware. Planners began holding meetings to prepare for the inevitable downturn in 2006, approving plans that banked 10 percent of the ending fund balance.

"We're holding our own," Montandon said. "Our planners and city manager absolutely saw this coming."

The city's preparedness hasn't gone unnoticed.

National and state agencies are now clamoring to tap into the city's resources.

"They see that we're not doing as poorly as other places, and they're turning to us," he said. "It's taking real effort to keep those agencies from dipping into our funding."

Community morale also is among the mayor's chief concerns.

"These are hard times," he said. "How do you get people to care about the building of parks and roadways when they can't even find work?"

With his final term up in June, Montandon announced plans to run for governor this year.

But he's not ready to commit to a platform just yet.

This legislative year will bring a number of monumental fiscal changes to the state, most of which will have some social impact, Montandon said.

"It's hard to speak to the issues or outline a plan for what I think the state needs right now," he said. "So much is going to change in the next six months that I think it would be running the cart out before the horse."

Contact North Las Vegas and Downtown View reporter Amanda Llewellyn at allewellyn@viewnews.com or 380-4535.