Six Henderson council hopefuls focus on city economy

For the first time since 1999, the contest for Henderson's Ward 4 City Council seat does not include anyone named Steve Kirk, and the race is on to replace the term-limited incumbent.

Henderson Planning Commissioner Sam Bateman, former Police Chief Mike Mayberry and former City Councilman Ron Hubel are all in the running.

So are Merrill Lynch financial adviser and former Army tank driver John Brislin, mortgage broker Bobby "Protect It" Rastifard, and real estate broker and Chicago City Council candidate Joseph Simmons.

Early voting begins today for the April 5 primary. If no one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes cast, the top two finishers will advance to the June 7 general election.

Kirk has endorsed Bateman and publicly rebuked Mayberry.

Bateman is an 11-year resident of Henderson who has worked as a deputy prosecutor for the Clark County district attorney's office since 2005. He also represents the office as a lobbyist in Carson City, though he said he doesn't receive any additional pay for that work.

The 33-year-old has served on the Planning Commission since 2007. This is his first run for elected office.

If he wins, Bateman said his first order of business will be to learn everything he needs to know to "reinvent city government or right-size city government." He said Henderson needs to "rein in spending generally" and take specific aim at employee compensation and retirement benefits.

That's part of the reason Bateman said he recently sent out a campaign mailer accusing Mayberry of "scamming" the public retirement system by collecting roughly $160,000 in pension and disability payments even while looking to go back to work for the city.

"We've got a $20 million hole in our general operating fund in Henderson, and one way you're going to have to plug that hole is by cutting personnel costs," Bateman said.

Mayberry said he was "shocked" by the attack, which he views as hypocritical considering Bateman's county job.

"After six years on the job, he's still a puppy, but he's already making in the range of what I did after 29 years. And he's in the same retirement system I am," Mayberry said.

The 58-year-old Mayberry spent almost 30 years with the Henderson Police Department, including more than five years as chief, before stepping down because of serious heart problems in 2005.

If elected, his top priority will be to bolster business and create jobs by cutting red tape left over from the boom years.

He said back when the city was growing rapidly and vacant land was at a premium, Henderson officials were right to require developers to set aside sites for schools and pay for such things as parks and fire stations.

"We're in a completely different economic climate now ," he said.

call to serve

As for his health, he said he retired as police chief because his doctors told him he would die at his desk if he continued in such a pressure-packed job.

The work of a City Council member doesn't compare in terms of stress, he said.

"I'm not trying to minimize the job of the City Council. What they do is important," he said. "But nobody's going to die when you make a call. It's not life and death."

Mayberry, who plays guitar as a hobby, said he has tried to enjoy his retirement but the pull to serve the community has never gone away.

Hubel was 3 years old when his family moved to Henderson in 1947, and he's lived there ever since.

He was elected to the City Council in 1983 and represented Ward 1 until 1987, when he lost his bid for a second term.

addressing finances

He worked for several businesses such as MGM and the Gibbons Co., handling everything from safety management to workers' compensation claims and other insurance issues.

Since he left office, Hubel has kept an eye on the council. He said this run was sparked by his frustration over the financial problems that seemed to go unnoticed by the city.

Hubel now works part time doing insurance inspections, so he has the time to dedicate to the council.

"I am not working full-time jobs like some of my opponents are," he said. "I would be able to devote the 30 to 40 hours I feel you should devote to being on council."

Brislin is happily running as an outsider.

He said Henderson needs more transparency in government to help break up the "good old boys' club."

The city's current leaders are mostly working to "protect their friends, not promote ideas," he said.

Brislin, 39, is a fourth-generation Las Vegas Valley resident who now works for Merrill Lynch. Before that, he spent almost 11 years driving tanks in the Army and Army Reserve.

He said his top priority as a councilman would be to lure tech companies and other new businesses to Henderson with cheap land and tax incentives.

"If we promote business, we promote ourselves," he said, adding with a laugh. "Hey, that's a pretty good line."

Simmons, 49, works in real estate and has a background in urban planning.

He has lived in Henderson for the past 10 years. Before that, he lived in Chicago, where he ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1995 and 1999.

He said he planned to stay away from politics after he moved to Henderson, but he cares about the city too much .

He knows that council members might not have a direct effect on the education system, but said he can help develop community and corporate partners to make sure schools have the resources to thrive.

"It's a win-win," Simmons said. "You get resources brought to the school, enriching the school programs resulting in smarter students who become a stronger work force."

facing housing crisis

Rastifard originally filed his candidacy under the nickname "Home Saver" before changing it to "Protect It."

As a mortgage broker, Rastifard feels that he has the experience to help Henderson face the housing crisis.

"Don't let the fact that I'm a mortgage banker fool you," he said. "I am not a Wall Street fat-cat billionaire. I am on the side of the homeowner. I am a staunch advocate to find solutions to stop this foreclosure madness right in its tracks."

Rastifard was born in Texas but moved to Henderson in 1987 when he was about 10 years old.

Throughout the years, he worked in sales, owned or managed cell phone and electronics stores. He got into the mortgage business in 2005.

View reporter Michael Lyle contributed to this report. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.