Many Americans rightly feel there is a lack of integrity, respect, and creativity in our country these days. Yet one of America’s fastest-growing cities is reportedly looking to shed these and other virtues from its official list of core values. That city is North Las Vegas, Nev.
Amid financial woes and political upheaval, the city, the Review-Journal, reports is seeking to pare down its lengthy list of “core values.”
North Las Vegas city spokesman Mitch Fox confirmed that an 11-member employee committee is looking to streamline the values because “no one knew what they were.” Reportedly “respect, creativity, quality service, leadership and integrity” are all on the chopping block.
But Fox stressed that nothing has been decided. “No decision will be made for two months. We want to hear from the 1,200 employees,” he said.
Former Mayor Shari Buck doubted that, telling Watchdog.org:
When we set those core values, we wanted the public to know that those areas were important to us as their elected representatives and staff.
Since 2013, under the leadership of Mayor John Lee, 10 senior administrators have resigned.
“I didn’t get elected to manage the problems. I was elected to solve them,” Lee told Watchdog. “We’ve put together a wonderful chemistry to make sure North Las Vegas didn’t become a black mark on the state of Nevada.”
Amid its rapid growth — the city’s population boomed 89.9% to 216,961 between 2000 and 2010 — North Las Vegas has experienced financial strain, partly due to multiple union contracts and the growth itself.
Last year, a judge ruled that the city did not have the authority to suspend millions of dollars in union employee pay raises.
Read more by Kenric Ward at Watchdog.com.