Union to challenge LV ballot measure decision

The Culinary union will challenge the decision to keep two ballot measures off of the June 2 Las Vegas municipal election ballot, a spokesman said.

"Yes, we will file something shortly," said Chris Bohner, research director for Culinary Local 226, in an e-mail. "It depends on the progress of the lawyers. There is no firm date."

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas City Council voted to not place the measures on the ballot after City Attorney Brad Jerbic called them "legally defective."

Bohner responded that the union is "very confident in the legality" of the measures.

One asks voters to repeal the city's redevelopment ordinance, which Jerbic said would end the redevelopment program and lead to waves of litigation with developers that have contracts with the redevelopment agency. The union has said the measure is structured in a way that protects existing projects.

The other would require voter approval on appropriations of $2 million or more to pay back "lease-purchase" agreements, which is the type of financing being proposed to build a new, and controversial, city hall.

Jerbic said Wednesday that the city and the union had been talking about resolving the dispute before it came to a public vote, which is why he waited until this week to bring his objections to the council.

"It was everybody's hope that this would be resolved," he said. "It's apparent, at least to me, that it will not be resolved."

The union's criticism is that the city hall project is expensive and risky, especially in a troubled economy, and that the city's redevelopment efforts need to be reformed.

City leaders have said -- and the union has denied -- that the conflict is really about union anger that the city won't help them get labor contracts with casinos that are expected to open downtown.

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.