Firefighters union endorses Beers for Council

A leading candidate for the open seat on the Las Vegas City Council received an important, albeit unexpected, endorsement Wednesday.

Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285 endorsed conservative former state legislator Bob Beers, a Republican who in Carson City clashed with union-aligned Democrats on government spending and other issues.

In a statement through Beers' campaign, firefighters union President Dean Fletcher praised Beers as an advocate for limiting spending, adding, "That's what we need at the local level."

The endorsement is important for Beers, who is considered the leader in the nine-person race, because support from the union and its approximately 600 members could be influential in what is expected to be a low-turnout election.

"I think it could be very significant," said Dan Hart, a Democratic campaign consultant who said he is not working with any Ward 2 candidates. "Any organization that has the ability and the experience to move a certain number of voters, which they certainly do ... will be invaluable to a campaign."

Fletcher said the firefighters interviewed three other candidates for a potential endorsement: Planning Commissioner Ric Truesdell; Anthony Ruggiero, an assistant to Mayor Pro Tem Stavros Anthony who took a leave of absence to campaign; and retired Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Bob Chinn, who said he has support from the Police Managers Supervisors Association, the Police Protective Association and former Sheriff Bill Young.

Hart said he was surprised the firefighters picked Beers.

Beers "doesn't seem, from his legislative history, like the type of person they would endorse," he said.

Even Beers seemed surprised by the endorsement, calling it "perhaps the most stunning moment of my attempts to be involved in governance."

In describing the endorsement interview, Beers recounted his answer to the question of why the firefighters should endorse him.

"I said I think I am the only candidate who understands how city managers can create an overhead allocation in such a manner to falsely and overly state the expenses of an operational department while simultaneously building up cash in the city manager's office," said Beers, an accountant in private life. "And I would have to describe the reaction as stunned silence."

Beers' answer touched on complaints the firefighters have been making for months, that city officials have been able to make funding available for everything from the Mob Museum to the new City Hall while asking public safety and other employees to make pay and benefit concessions.

"We need somebody there to look at the finances of the city. The essential services of government are to provide services to the citizens," Fletcher said. "We believe he is the guy to do it."

Fletcher also has questioned why city officials decided to save money by not providing an ambulance in the recently built fire station in Sun City, though an ambulance was in the plans for the station.

Beers has raised the same question, stating the city should prioritize public safety spending over other issues, such as downtown redevelopment.

"We certainly don't want to create holes in fire and rescue service for the rest of the city on the altar of downtown redevelopment," Beers said.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@
reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.