What course should the city take financially in the current economic climate?

The View asked the candidates to share, in their own words, their stances on fiscal issues

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Mayor Candidate: John 3:16 Cook

I see people down at the trailer parks I go out to all the time to take food because they're living on Top Ramen. There are so many things that could be done to help.

No. 1, and this isn't nothing evil, I'm an ordained Southern Baptist minister, I would work with all of the local churches. They would be asked to donate a percentage of their tithing ... to a fund I will set up to help the people of North Las Vegas and rehabilitate people. You don't have to raise taxes. There are other ways to raise money.

Mayor Candidate: William Robinson

William Robinson did not submit an answer to this question.

Mayor Candidate: Shari Buck

We need to act frugally and responsibly, which I have done in the past as a council member. As responsible stewards of the public's money, we have to tighten our belts, ensuring no unnecessary expenses are incurred, and projects that are not critical to health or safety must be put off until we are in a better financial position.

Mayor Candidate: Stephanie Smith

The city first needs to address two issues simultaneously. We need to sustain our level of service and our quality of life while ensuring that fiscal responsibility is more than just talk. Public safety, clean streets and recreational programs are all important; however, wasteful spending is unacceptable. We must all work together in order to find creative ways to conserve our city's funds and cut our budget.

Mayor Candidate: Ned Thomas

Southern Nevada has entered a new era of slower growth and considerable economic uncertainty. Many families and individuals are having an increasingly difficult time making ends meet. Some have lost jobs or had work hours reduced. Everyone is cutting back one way or another. Like any family or business, the city of North Las Vegas must make responsible choices in difficult economic times. Diligent, thoughtful efforts will be required to keep expenses in line with ongoing budget projections.

In the short term, the city needs to prioritize spending to guarantee adequate resources for public safety and other basic services. Immediate actions such as budget cuts and a hiring freeze have already been taken. Some relief may be provided through the federal economic stimulus package. The city should also seek suggestions for savings directly from employees and residents via an online blog, and those ideas deemed most worthwhile should be implemented.

Future strategies might include voluntary furlough days, suspension of non-represented step increases, reduction in overtime, or a reduction in paid holidays. Decisions about any of these measures would need to be carefully considered in an open, collaborative environment with the city's management team, union representatives, and employees.

Ward 1 City Council Candidate: Rolando Cruz

The city needs to continue with the current hiring slowdown to ensure that there will be no lay-offs and also ensure we keep a high level of service to the community. We need to be mindful not to scale back the downtown redevelopment and continue since this, over time, will be a major source of revenue for our city.

Ward 1 City Council Candidate: Jeffrey Eggeman

The city of North Las Vegas should try and take as much advantage of the economic stimulus package passed by Congress. Especially since Ward 1 has some of the most foreclosures and highest unemployment rates. North Las Vegas needs better leadership in these financial times with money being spent for the greater good and benefiting the most people. I am very good with money and feel that I can manage it well.

Ward 1 City Council Candidate: Robert Eliason

Robert Eliason did not submit an answer to this question.

Ward 3 City Council Candidate: Felix Acevedo Jr.

The city must continue with its cost containment efforts and look for areas where we can operate more effectively. The 3 percent cut for FY 2008-2009 is a good starting point and demonstrates we can cut cost without eliminating critical services. However, we must maintain the course in some areas and not scale back; for example, the city cannot eliminate public safety, and park and recreation programs, and we must streamline costs very carefully without reducing services in these areas.

Ward 3 City Council Candidate: Angelo Carvalho

The city needs to stop frivolous spending and hiring outside contractors to do work that our city staff are more than qualified to do.

Ward 3 City Council Candidate: Jack Kelso

The city of North Las Vegas has diligently monitored its revenues in the past years. We continue to face revenue shortfalls and are now faced with an additional $1.5 million deficit this fiscal year. As sales tax revenue continues to shrink as predicted, the city must continue to carefully monitor service expenses and adjust expected costs as necessary, without jeopardizing essential services beyond critical levels. These cost adjustments must be considered temporary during this recessionary period. Public safety is one area that must be evaluated very carefully. The city cannot compromise safety for dollars. Some public works projects may need to be postponed at this time.

Ward 3 City Council Candidate: Michael Little

1. Protect local taxpayer contributions in the city general fund from state looting.

2. Tax transparency.

3. Partnering pursuit of federal taxpayer bailout funds earmarked for municipal use toward developing green industry and green collar jobs here in North Las Vegas.

4. Utilize our higher education in alternative energy and renewable conservation in the research and development that attracts grants both private and public. Re: Senate Bill 331 and Assembly Bill 178 (2007 Nevada Legislature).

5. Consider deflationary contracting reflective of the economic recession.

6. Take a national leadership role by example.

7. Renegotiate franchise agreements by a cooperative process.

Ward 3 City Council Candidate: Kimberly McKinney

The city of North Las Vegas has created a budget for fiscal 2009. However they tend to believe if the current financial crisis continues through fiscal 2009, they have listed some strategies that they feel may need to be considered for a shrinking budget. At this point no one can be certain about our economic state. What we must do is continue to identify sources of revenue and make every attempt to keep them flowing. The city must educate on how to reduce spending and raise awareness on how to cut cost effectively. Then we wait for stability and continue to "Build on what we have."

Ward 3 City Council Candidate: Anita Wood

The North Las Vegas budget figures put candidates in the position of budget and revenue triage. First, we have to stop the bleeding. That means joining with other cities to stop a state tax raid on our existing revenues. Second, let's get an audit of our areas of greatest budget overruns. Are there legitimate reasons, or is there a serious problem that has gone undetected? We should start making decisions from that point.