LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Mayor Shelley Berkley has been at the helm of the City of Las Vegas for over a month now.
As we continue to listen to the concerns of Las Vegas locals, I took some of your questions straight to Mayor Berkley's office.
She may be a newly elected mayor, but as a public service veteran, she knows those who put her in office want results and answers when they reach out to the City.
"We don't say 'Not our job, goodbye.' We'll figure out who, throughout the Las Vegas valley, can help solve this citizen's problem," Berkley said. "So we're trying to work very collaboratively with the other jurisdictions in Southern Nevada so that if a person calls with a problem, we don't leave them out in the cold."
The mayor agreed to meet with me to answer some of the questions you left for us on social media.
Question 1: Pedestrian safety in Southern Nevada
Jamie Farrar asked me if the mayor would be willing to meet with her to discuss ways to improve pedestrian safety. Farrar says she was injured and left disabled as a result of an accident while she was crossing the street.
Farrar is not alone, of course. We report dozens of incidents where people are hit and killed by cars in the valley every year.
Here's what Berkley had to say about that:
"I'm going to be on the Regional Transportation Commission, and I think that would be their jurisdiction — which, of course, if part of all of Southern Nevada. So if they give me a little bit of time, I would be glad to meet and guide them to the right people to talk to."
Question 2: Animal abandonment and feral pets
Our viewer Gina's issue is with irresponsible pet owners. Gina says she's concerned about the abandoned and feral pet population, and she wants to see people charged for neglecting their pets.
"Oh, I think she's 100 percent right. We are really seeing an uptick in animal abuse and animal abandonment," Berkley said. "And the feral cat issue is a big problem in the community."
"I want to do a deep dive into this, but this is one of the issues that I'm very concerned about," she added.
Question 3: Tackling crime and homelessness
Ray Sharp writes, "What is she going to do about crime in our city and homelessness?" He writes that both issues are "out of control."
Berkley agrees homelessness is a "big issue," telling me, "it's one of the things I plan to tackle."
"I'm going to do everything I can to help alleviate it. Now, I'm not foolish enough or 'Pollyanna'-ish enough to think we're going to get every single person off the street. But we need to start doing something — and doing it soon — before it turns into a crisis," Berkley said.
Looking forward to the future
While the mayor says a lot of our viewers' questions are issues borne out of our city's rapid growth, she tells me she will prioritize these issues and looks forward to leading Las Vegas into the future.
"I would much rather be dealing with growth-related issues than dealing with a city that's losing population, losing its tax base so that you're struggling to keep things together," Berkley said. "That is not the case in the City of Las Vegas. We're going to be just fine, and again, the next 10 years are going to be very exciting and very dynamic."
We want to thank the viewers who took the time to send me their questions. We will continue to follow up with you — and the mayor's office — to ensure we're advocating for you and addressing your concerns.
If there's something you want me to look into, you can email me directly at tricia.kean @ktnv.com.