What are some ideas you have to combat the foreclosure problem?

The View asked the candidates to share, in their own words, their opinions on issues they will face if elected

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Stephanie Smith

Everyone in a neighborhood suffers in a foreclosure. A family loses its home, and neighbors see the value of their homes plummet even more. The foreclosure crisis has been devastating in Nevada, and we must work with our neighboring jurisdictions, fellow state and federal elected officials, lenders and other groups to provide help and assistance to our residents. I will crack down on lenders who take possession of a home but do not keep it to city code. Banks that take over a foreclosed home must keep up the home up to the same standards that all homeowners must maintain. Additionally, our city has helped coordinate several low-cost "foreclosure fairs" to provide information and choices to North Las Vegas residents facing foreclosure. I would start hosting these foreclosure fairs regularly to provide homeowners additional options at little to no cost to the city. The most important thing we can do, however, is to attract businesses to North Las Vegas that bring jobs with them. In time, revitalizing our local economy will help ease the foreclosure crisis.

John 3:16 Cook

We've got to change some laws and put some proposals up to the city council. We need to rehabilitate housing and open that up to low-income families.

William Robinson

Having served as a councilman and Mayor Pro Tempore, I have seen our city through some severe financial crises. The current downturn is the worst we've seen, but we shall persevere. We are exploring ways as a city to keep people in their homes and the city will make every effort to assist our citizens in weathering the storm. I support the foreclosure "time-out" that is being proposed at the state level, as well.

Shari Buck

I would like to see the federal government prioritize help for owner/occupants whose adjustable mortgages might make ownership unaffordable. We need to keep families in their homes, and support them to be able to stay. This must be done in cooperation with the lenders and banks. Predatory lending must stop, and banks should be accountable to the HOAs and city for the homes they now own. Banks and lenders must disclose when they take over a property, and whom to contact when issues arise over code violations, etc. I would support a moratorium on foreclosures until counseling services, restructuring, refinancing, and other options are explored.

Ned Thomas

Resolving the foreclosure crisis will require the best efforts of every individual and organization involved in the housing market. As mayor, I will immediately form a task force comprised of knowledgeable people from banking, real estate, and finance to provide advice and suggestions to the city council on meaningful actions that we can take to address the foreclosure crisis in our own community. I will then lead the city council in taking decisive actions that make economic sense and achieve the best results.

Those actions might include working with local banks to provide increased options to distressed homeowners who are facing foreclosure. Many distressed homeowners are actually hardworking citizens who acted responsibly and played by the rules but now find themselves in financial trouble due to reduced income or other circumstances related to the economy. These homeowners need options that will allow them to stay in their homes and continue to make payments under terms that reflect the state of our market.

In the longer term, the mayor and council need to establish good working relations with our representatives in the State legislature and our Congressional delegation. I will also reach out to our HOAs and other community organizations.

Rolando Cruz

A lot of the forclosure solutions will be coming from the federal government. How we use them will be up to the council and the city managers that present the city with its plans. The main promise I will make is not to vote against a plan by mistake without understanding it. In the past some in our council voted against the plans thinking they were voting in favor of something else. As a council member I will know all the council rules and separate items that need to be voted on its own. After serving two or more terms in council, they should know the rules and use them wisely.

Jeffrey Eggeman

There are at least, that I know of, five foreclosed homes on my street. I, along with many other people, owe more on my home than what it is worth. If elected, I will get all of the banks and mortgage companies together and come up with a solution. Have a plan of bundling these houses together, opening up credit, and either auctioning them off or somehow selling them to homeowners. Some of these houses on my street have been empty for a long time and something needs to be done now. Preventing foreclosure, people need to be able to get information from the city and these financial institutions on how to prevent them from losing their homes.

Robert Eliason

There is a lot of programs to look at and refine. This is a nation wide crisis that is going to take all levels of local and national government to work through.

Felix Acevedo Jr.

The city stands to receive $6.8 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. I want to work with both our city staff and private sector entities to stabilize neighborhoods.

I will facilitate workshops that provide assistance to homeowners in danger of foreclosure. Primary focus of workshops will be to help residents successfully negotiate the loan modification process.

Angelo Carvalho

We can not control the foreclosure problem at a city level as we have no say or control over what the banks do.

Jack Kelso

The current home foreclosure problem is the result of financial institutions allowing mortgage loans without thorough review of the applicant's ability to satisfy their financial obligation. The Federal Government is addressing the national situation as best that a governmental institution can. If I am made aware of a foreclosure action that I find unfair to the homeowner/resident and integrity of the surrounding neighborhood, I will use every means within my office to assist that homeowner negotiate mortgage adjustments with their lender.

Michael Little

I differentiate homestead foreclosure property from speculative real estate investments acquisitions. It is homestead property owners and citizens, not a party and or victim to/of pulse loan lending practices that I am concerned about. Let's first recognize federal legislative stupidity compounded by corporate greed.

1.) Relearn a lesson or two: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You can inherit longterm debt through legislative stupidity in the form of obligatory taxes.

2.) Initiate a mortgage holiday (interest only) until this economic correction and the deflationary impact of the dollar stabilizes at a local level for homestead properties.

3.) Foreclosure buyback first option at bank short sale or discount price by original foreclosed owner.

4.) Homestead Real Estate Property Tax credit paid to local governments directly from banks for non foreclosure properties.

5.) It would appear that the banks are funding apartments to accommodate those families loosing their homes by the banks greed. The above items are some checks and balances upon the very institutions that created the problem. These can be done locally at a city council level with the exception to reduce legislative stupidity.

Kim McKinney

No one likes what is going on with foreclosures and "flip-flopped" mortgages. I am confident that Nevada will receive stimulus money to help offset the foreclosures. I am hoping that the money received will be administered to help all residents of North Las Vegas stay in their homes and meet their mortgages.

As far as combating the problem, educating constituents in what is available to them and by providing "easy" access to apply for mortgage assistance will greatly benefit all constituents.

Anita Wood

I believe most people understand that foreclosures affect the entire community, not just those who lose their homes. An excess of houses on the market drags down the value of our homes as it creates a buyers' market. Vacant houses invite theft and vandalism while making neighborhoods appear run down. Construction workers and all who supply the construction industry are put out of work when building ends. The lack of demand creates more unemployment and impacts our entire economy.

The city of North Las Vegas must work closely with our federal representatives to be certain we are in line for federal relief efforts. As a city, we can create counseling centers in conjunction with several nonprofit agencies that specialize in helping people avoid foreclosure. Because North Las Vegas has its own water district, we can work directly with neighbors and homeowners associations to make sure enough water is provided to maintain the lawns and shrubs in front of foreclosed homes so that dead lawns don't detract from the entire neighborhood. And, working with our police and other law enforcement agencies, we can vigorously prosecute those scam artists who defraud people in tough financial spots while pretending to assist them.