Henderson must fill 2 city council seats as Debra March ascends to mayor

Soon-to-be Henderson Mayor Debra March’s victory will lead to a shake-up on the City Council as two seats remain undecided.

March, who represented Ward 2, will replace term-limited Andy Hafen and become the city’s first female mayor in more than 20 years. Her spot on the council will need to be filled, while Ward 3 incumbent John Marz vies with businesswoman Carrie Cox in the June 13 general election to keep his seat.

Marz garnered 43 percent of the vote and Cox received 28 percent in Tuesday’s primary election. March totaled 55 percent, avoiding a runoff because she topped 50 percent of the vote.

The council will have three choices to fill the Ward 2 vacancy: appointment by application, direct appointment or special election by all-mail ballot. The person chosen will serve the remainder of March’s two-year term.

At least one person is thinking about being a candidate for that seat: longtime Henderson resident Stan Olsen, the chairman of the Nevada Taxicab Authority and president of Olsen Strategic Group.

Olsen said Thursday that he has not decided yet, but he has considered being on the council. The 65-year-old former state senator also serves on the executive board of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce.

“Henderson is the second-largest city in Nevada, and there’s room for tremendous growth,” Olsen said. “We need to start looking at things like infrastructure, roads and traffic patterns. We also need to continue to provide opportunities for businesses small and large.”

Marz was appointed to the council in 2012 and promised not to run for re-election. He has since said he wants to continue to be the city’s small-business voice, while Cox has been critical of his broken promise.

An appointment process could be used to name the fourth person — along with March, Marz and Dan Stewart — to the current council.

Last year, the council voted unanimously to proceed with the appointment by application process in Ward 4 to replace Sam Bateman, who was elected to serve as the city’s justice of the peace. At the time, Hafen declared it the most “transparent and cost-effective” solution.

In terms of fees related to the Ward 2 vacancy,

City Clerk Sabrina Mercadante said the appointment by application would cost the city $125 to place a legal notice in the newspaper, while the direct appointment would cost nothing.

The cost associated with the all-mail ballot comes from the required partnership with Clark County and the city’s 166,190 registered voters. As of late last year, a special election would cost $420,000, according to Mercadante.

Although an appointment by application process seems to be the most inexpensive yet fairest way to fill a vacancy, opponents caution that it could still lead to an unfair hearing based on connections and personal relationships.

“(City officials) need to be transparent enough to let the community know who they want for this position,” said political consultant Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, who has been outspoken about the city’s appointment by application process. “It is a waste of time to parade people and let them think they have a chance when someone is already a shoo-in.”

Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter.