Badlands case takes center stage at Las Vegas mayoral candidates’ debate | Politics & Government

The two candidates heading into the runoff to replace Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman showed their bona fides Wednesday, trading criticism over the city’s increasingly costly legal battle with the proposed developer of the former Badlands Golf Course.

Former U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and Assemblywoman Victoria Seaman debated for the first time since the June primaries, breaking away from a crowded field in the nonpartisan race that saw the two leading candidates advance.

In that vote, Berkley defeated Seaman 35.67 percent to 28.91 percent.

November’s winner follows Carolyn Goodman and former Mayor Oscar Goodman’s 25-year tenure as City Council leaders.

The Las Vegas Chamber hosted the well-attended event at the Four Queens. The tightly timed back-and-forth was moderated by the organization’s president and former Las Vegas City Manager Betsy Fretwell.

Desert

The candidates discussed their vision for the city, affordable housing, public safety and the economy, but the debate turned heated when the topic of Badlands came up.

Four lawsuits in various stages of litigation and appeal have resulted in verdicts of more than $237 million in favor of EHB Cos., which is led by CEO Yohan Lowie.

Judges in three cases involving different parts of the 250-acre former golf course have ruled that the city unlawfully “took” property by not allowing EHB to exercise its land use rights and develop homes on the land.

A proposed settlement in 2022 would cost the city $64 million, but the deal collapsed hours before the issue was to be publicly discussed at City Hall.

“How is it resolved?” Fretwell asked.

Seaman, who has been the most vocal on the council in favor of an out-of-court settlement, noted that the legal battle began before she was elected to the council.

“We just didn’t have a board that was willing to take this on,” said Seaman, who noted that the case has already been handled by three different city administrators and city attorneys.

Seaman said she was confident negotiations would continue and suggested a settlement could involve the city buying the golf course and then selling it for development, something residents of the adjacent Queensridge neighborhood initially opposed.

“Elections have consequences, and we’re going to fix this,” Seaman said. “We’re going to make sure that the taxpayers have as little damage as possible from this.”

Berkley, who lives in Queensridge, expects the lawsuits will be resolved early in the next mayor’s term, or perhaps even sooner.

“With all due respect, Councilman, you’ve been here for five years, you’ve not been able to successfully conclude a negotiation,” Berkley said. “You can’t find another member of the City Council who will go with you and agree to resolve this.”

Berkley said she believes she is “the only person” who can negotiate a deal that protects taxpayer dollars and satisfies the parties involved.

“There has been so much bad faith,” Berkley said, referring to a Supreme Court ruling that she described as an “embarrassment to the city.”

According to Berkley, Seaman has repeatedly voted to hire outside lawyers to handle the lawsuits.

Seaman argued that Berkley had shown no interest in the issue until she decided to run for mayor. She described the former congresswoman’s claim that Seaman had not pushed for a settlement as “ignorant.”

“It wasn’t my job to do your job, Victoria,” Berkley responded. “If you were in a position to fix this, you should have. That’s what you set out to do, and you failed in what you promised.”

Housing, public safety

Under Berkley’s leadership, she said, Las Vegas’ growth would “explode” in the next decade and unemployment would be low. The city would attract new businesses and medical students trained here would stay for their residencies.

Her plan to address homelessness includes more additional care services, including for people who cannot care for themselves.

Seaman, who supports the city’s camping ban, said the ordinance is accompanied by social service teams to help get vulnerable people off the streets. She also praised four affordable housing projects recently greenlit by the city.

“I don’t think anyone should be proud of the way we treat the homeless,” Berkley countered.

Both candidates want an independent children’s hospital and they want the U.S. government to free up federal land for housing.

While both said public safety is their top priority, Seaman said she has the support of several law enforcement unions.

The candidates acknowledged that each of their proposals will require the support of at least three other council members and that the city will need to continue to work with neighboring districts.

In her speech to the business community gathered at Four Queens, Seaman said that as mayor she would convene a commission to study streamlining business processes.

“Whoever inherits the mayoral position,” Berkley added, “is almost predestined for success, because everything we need for success … is already in place.”

After the debate, which lasted an hour, the candidates shook hands.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at [email protected].