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Commissioner a Leader on
Transportation, Flood Control Issues
 As
of Sept. 5, Clark County Commissioner Bruce
Woodbury became the longest-serving commissioner in
Nevada
history.
“It
has truly been a privilege to serve,” Woodbury said.
“Together we have made great strides in flood control,
transportation and the many other challenges we face in
this great community. I hope to be able to continue to
serve for many years to come because when you live in
one of the fastest-growing parts of the country there is
always more work to be done.”
Woodbury
was appointed to the County Commission on March 14, 1981 and has won seven elections since to
keep the position. He served as chairman of the
commission for two terms and has represented the county
on many regional boards, commissions and committees
during his tenure.
“Bruce
Woodbury continues to cement his reputation as a
visionary leader with unwavering values and the highest
integrity,” Commission Chairman Rory Reid said. “He
has been a driving force on this commission and in this
community for many, many years, and I consider it an
honor to have served with him for even a few of those
years.”
Woodbury
is a leader on transportation issues and has been
instrumental in winning approval of funding for
transportation plans over the years.
He
proposed the Clark County Master Transportation Plan and
Fair Share Funding Program, which has been implemented
with the passage of Question 10 in 1990 and Question 10
in 2002.
These
measures led to the 54-mile highway around the Las Vegas
Valley, which was named the Bruce Woodbury Beltway; an
award-winning public bus system running since 1991;
advanced planning for a new commuter rail system;
hundreds of miles of new streets; and pedestrian bridges
at major intersections on the Las Vegas Strip.
He
has also served on the board of the Regional
Transportation Commission since 1985, and been that
commission’s chairman since 1991.
Woodbury
is also the “father of flood control” in the Las Vegas
Valley as it was largely his leadership and hard work that led
to the creation of the Clark County Regional Flood
Control District in 1986. To date, approximately 450
miles of storm-water channels and storm drains and 75
detention basins have been built in Clark County. Another 408 miles of channels and 60 detention basins
are planned. Woodbury served as the district board’s
first chairman and is still a member of that board.
“Commissioner
Woodbury has had a tremendous impact on Clark County
during his tenure,” said County Manager Virginia Valentine, who was the first chief engineer and general
manager of the Flood Control District. “He led the
campaign for successful passage of the ballot question
that created and funded the Clark County Regional Flood
Control District. He went on to lead efforts for
countywide transportation funding including the beltway,
preservation of rural neighborhoods, and formation of
the county's regional air quality and environmental
management department. He's been a champion for his
district and has devoted himself equally to rural and
urban constituents.”
In
addition:
-
In
1985, he brought the elected leaders from the county
and City of Las Vegas together to resolve their long-standing feud that
had resulted in lawsuits and bitterness.
-
In
1986, Woodbury led the successful campaign to win
voter approval for a quarter-cent sales tax that
continues to fund flood control projects.
-
In
1993, Woodbury proposed and won approval for the
Clark County Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which forbids
increases in the county property tax rates without a
vote of the people and restricts increases in county
general fund spending to the population increase
plus cost of living.
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He
proposed and won approval in 2003 for the Clark
County Homeowner’s Bill of Rights, which
significantly strengthens master plans to protect
existing residents from undesirable zone changes.
-
He
proposed and won approval of a moratorium on new
billboards in unincorporated Clark County.
-
He
sponsored the establishment of several Rural
Neighborhood Preserves in the Southeast and
Southwest areas of the county.
-
He
proposed and implemented the Clean Air Action Plan
and was named the first chairman of the Clark County
Air Quality Management Board. He spearheaded the
successful effort to obtain voter approval for the
first major funding for air quality programs in
2002.
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He
was the first chairman of the Southern Nevada
Regional Planning Coalition, and co-sponsored with
Commissioner Reid the Clark County Growth Management
Task Force in 2004.
In
addition to the Beltway, the post office in Boulder City
and streets in Laughlin, Moapa Valley
and Mesquite have been named for Woodbury.
Woodbury
surpassed former Ormsby County Commissioner Peter Martin
Crow, who was a commissioner from 1918 to 1945. (Ormsby County
is now a part of Carson City County).
Woodbury
represents District A, which includes Boulder City, Bunkerville, Cal-Nev-Ari, Laughlin, Nelson,
Moapa Valley, Searchlight, and parts of Henderson
and Mesquite. Due to term limits, Woodbury can run for one more term
on the commission in 2008.
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