By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Las Vegas City Council members voted against two controversial measures that attempted to put the decision of building a new city hall to the voters.
The Culinary Union was behind the measures saying it was to risky to build at this time due to the economy.
City Attorney Brad Jerbic said, “That although the ballot measures meet the technical requirements of having enough signatures, they are not legally sufficient or proper to be placed on the ballot.”
More than 200 construction workers gathered at the Wednesday meeting in advance of a City Council vote to show their support for the project moving ahead. It's estimated that the city hall project could translate into 1,000 jobs.
“Just by the numbers you saw up there, that could put this whole room to work,” said Tommy White, Laborers Union 872.
City leaders said that the Culinary Union took up the fight against the project partly because the city refused to mandate union representation in a new hotel that is to be built downtown.
The city plans to take out $267 million in loans for the new city hall building and Culinary Union members contend that that is too much money.
“It doubles the debt. “It's an extraordinary transaction. Let the voters decide. Let's have a good public debate about it and let the voters decide in June,” said Chris Bohner, Culinary Union spokesman.
But the voters will not be deciding because Jerbic pointed out that the initiative was unconstitutional.
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