New year may look a lot like the old year

Carson City officials expect 2006 to be a busy year. The mayor expects it to be thoroughly enjoyable, too.

"I'm having the best time of my life doing this job," said Mayor Marv Teixeira. "This has been a real positive for me."

Amid his second go-around in city government - he previously served as mayor for two terms from 1989 to 1996 - conditions for governing are much better, he said.

Budget worries plagued a large chunk of his previous mayorship. And the significant population growth at the time only added to the problems of governing, Teixeira remembered.

Thinking about the future, however, he said, "our best days are ahead."

Regarding everyone in Carson City government, elected and employed, he said, "We make decisions as a unit.

"Everybody gives up something to get something. That's a rarity in government," he said. "It makes you excited about doing things."

What are some of the issues he expects to spend a great deal of time on this year? Things that are familiar and have often dominated 2005:

n Envision - the overall name for the city's growth, land-use, recreation and service-plan documents. These plans will be up for Board of Supervisors approval this year, and are blueprints to guide governing decisions for the next 20 years.

n The reconstructed V&T rail route - The Virginia & Truckee Railroad will be an 18-mile long route between Carson City and Virginia City geared toward tourists. It should be complete by 2009. The state is seeking an operator to make it roll.

n Partnership Carson City - The Meth Coalition, headed by Teixeira, was started in 2005 to address the myriad problems facing the community that are associated with the use of the illegal drug.

Other issues and development Teixeira expects the city to deal with in 2006 include easing the city's ongoing traffic problem, shoring up its tax base by attracting more businesses, and "creating a good legislative agenda to work on some of the problems the city will face," he said.

Also important is what he referred to as "blending the community better."

"We need to do a better job of listening, establishing dialogues - even about things we don't want to talk about," he said.

One move in this direction will be the addition of a community-outreach coordinator. This person's initial task will be to educate the city's Latino population about how local government works and serves all of its residents.

Though he's not up for re-election in 2006, Teixeira emphasized that voters will take on the always-important task of deciding who will represent them. In November, specifically, the 1st and 3rd Ward seats now occupied by Robin Williamson and Pete Livermore will be up for grabs.

To sum up Teixeira's view of 2006?

It'll be a "platform year," he said. "A year we'll spend getting ready to move to another level. We'll just keep the balls in the air and add a few more."

n Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.