Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian ripped the city of Las Vegas' proposed redistricting plan unveiled this week, saying it would decimate her ward.
In comments that could ripple the publicly placid waters of City Hall, the Ward 1 council representative said the proposal to redraw boundaries would strip her district of its most vibrant areas and projects.
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"All wards within a city should be strong," Tarkanian said. "This is the only area in the city which won't have new development or redevelopment. Everything attractive or of value, this is going to take it away from Ward 1."
The plan, released Wednesday, would shift an estimated 20 percent of city residents to different wards, a necessity, officials say, because of disparate growth in different parts of town. The west and north have seen dramatic population increases, while older parts of town, such as Tarkanian's ward, have stagnated.
Tarkanian's ward would be the most changed. She said that under the plan -- which still must be approved by the City Council -- she would lose the only large park in her ward, All American Park. Gone as well would be the Arts District and historic Fifth Street School.
"My ward is the smallest ward right now, but instead, it has the most taken from it," Tarkanian said. "It's evened out, but it's evened out in the strangest way. They took out anything of consequence as far as Ward 1 is concerned."
Among the most notable areas that she would lose are the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard and the south side of Fremont Street, which would be passed to Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese's Ward 3.
Tarkanian said that she has worked hard with residents and developers to encourage redevelopment and that there is a need for continuity now that downtown is "on the cusp."
She said Reese "has not been encouraging development on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard," which he currently represents.
Reese is pushing a plan that would place a 60-foot height restriction on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard. He said the characterization that he is not pro-development is wrong. The proposal is a result of working with residents in the John S. Park Neighborhood, he said.
"In my 11 years, I've never said a word to anyone about redistricting," he said. "I don't see why or how come she's complaining. That's her choice, I guess. This is America."
Reese said that Frederick P. Kessler, a retired Wisconsin judge whom the city hired to do the redistricting, came to him and asked where he wanted to grow. "I said, 'I'll take this side over here.' Maybe I decided it's time that I represented some of this redevelopment too. I've never had any."
Reese said he has been hurt in past redistrictings and "never said a word."
"I've lost a lot of friends that I represented," he said.
Kessler was unavailable for comment Friday. But on Wednesday he said: "I don't think there was any conspiracy involved. I never got the impression that I was being directed or being suggested out of some consensus to take the area away from (Tarkanian). I do know various members of the council like the idea of representing downtown."
Losing areas of growth or redevelopment could affect other parts of Ward 1. Some money from new developments in the city must be spent within the ward where the new building took place.
Ward 1, which includes some of the city's oldest neighborhoods, has occasionally been referred to as "the cursed ward," and it has long been a focus of controversy in city politics. It was represented by Michael McDonald before he lost re-election while under the cloud of ethics charges. His replacement, Janet Moncrief, was recalled and replaced by Tarkanian in a special election in January 2005.
Since taking office, Tarkanian has been on the short end of a number of controversial issues, including some exclusively in her ward. The council typically defers to the council member who represents the area.
Tarkanian lost a battle to block a bar from expanding gaming in Meadows Mall. Most recently, she was in the minority when she voted against extending the hours of a doctor's office in the new Social Security building on Buffalo Drive.
She also asked for an environmental report and appraisal on the effect of lifting a deed restriction on Bill Walters' Royal Links Golf Club and was originally the lone vote against lifting the deed restriction.
She has become a favorite of constant council critic Steven "Captain Truth" Dempsey and commentator Steve Miller.
She wouldn't speculate on why the redistricting "sliced and diced" her ward. But she said that when she asked why she was being redistricted out, Kessler said, "It's political."
"I've served this area very well. I have a good working relationship with residents and developers, and think I have a very good understanding of what we need for the success in the downtown area," she said. She insisted her objections were not about pursuing re-election in 2007.
