I am committed to ensuring we have a balanced budget and retaining our Triple A+ bond rating, the best in the State of Nevada. Our City’s budget is currently in the black, but we need to be forward thinking and planning for the future, as our infrastructure needs are real. I believe incorporating the right technology will be one solution, but we need to be looking at new revenue streams into the general budget. Since I took office in July of 2017, I have been working with our finance department to review line items and have been able to increase the amount of money into the general fund through various streams of income without raising taxes.

Our city is growing and I am dedicated to ensuring our response times continue to be the best in the nation and you continue to feel safe in your home while providing a safe environment for our first responders. I encourage community involvement through neighborhood watch programs and services offered by the city that promote education and participation in neighborhood events. We are committed to the “See Something, Say Something, Do Something” culture and as the city grows, we need to remain on the cutting edge of technology.

We are at a very exciting moment in time, having the opportunity to build our city, and guide it into future prosperity while creating a new base of opportunity for our existing businesses. Our greatest asset is our people and the high quality of life we all share. Our responsibility is to market this information to future employers and industries we would like to relocate into our city. We need to be selective while marketing to industries, as we want to ensure they provide sustainable high paying jobs. The only way to maintain the lowest tax base in the state is to diversify our economy through attracting businesses and jobs that contribute into the tax base.

Education is, and continues to be, at the heart of this community. Whether it was 20 years ago or today, support for education is always at the top of the list for our residents and businesses. Under my tenure, we created the Henderson Community Education Advisory Board (CEAB), which serves as a recommending body to the City Council in working with Henderson schools to foster educational strategies that are in alignment with the overarching goals and policies of the City. Grants are provided to our schools through an application process. To support this mission we recently dedicated funds from the sale of marijuana into this budget that already includes funds from redevelopment. We also have many higher education choices for our students through Nevada State College, Community College, University of Nevada and several vocational schools. Henderson schools exceed every category in our national standards, I encourage you to visit the City of Henderson’s website for more information.

Having served as a former chairman of this board for ten years and spearheading the bond campaign to build our first bonded park, I take special pride in maintaining and building additional recreation amenities. We are unique in this state to have an abundance of parks and trails that center on a healthy life style and we are the only city in America that has won two gold medals for the best Parks and Recreation facilities. We must guarantee our current and future residents are able to enjoy the amenities we have today, while we continue to plan and build for tomorrow.