Today's News

City Councilman Andrew Feldman had planned to water his lawn after last Wednesday’s council meeting.

He was told he couldn’t.

Both Feldman and Mayor Tony Marquez found out during the meeting that the city had entered Stage 2 water restrictions two days earlier, which is in response to the dropping water levels in the city’s reservoirs, which are at 72 percent of capacity.

The West Las Vegas school board doesn’t record its meetings, unlike most governing bodies.

Some members like that policy; others question it.

“I have visited other institutions where they record their public meetings, I was wondering why we don’t. We have to be accountable for everything we say at these board meetings,” said member David Romero, who asked that the school board consider the issue.

Member Kenny Lujan said all meetings in the past used to be recorded, but he said nobody knows why the practice stopped.

Las Vegas City Attorney Carlos Quiñones often prefers government secrecy.  

He would be doing the public he serves a great favor if he were to make openness the rule, not the exception.

Unfortunately, he falls into the trap that many attorneys do — only reveal what you absolutely need to, and nothing more.

A few months ago, we found out that a City Council quorum was discussing city business outside of public meetings via e-mail, a practice denounced by the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government.

This week, Las Vegas residents will meet over a sacred cow. The “c” word will be discussed.

Las Vegas is the only city in New Mexico with two school districts, and this week, citizens will talk about whether that is beneficial or detrimental to the community.

A public meeting has been scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Kennedy Hall on the Highlands University campus to discuss the pros and cons of administrative consolidation. More than 30 local businesses, organizations and individuals are sponsoring the meeting, including this newspaper.