LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — State Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, who is running for mayor of North Las Vegas, said housing is “probably the biggest issue” she hears from residents.
She said her first step in office would be an audit of city government.
Monroe-Moreno said she has served in the state Legislature for almost 10 years. She said she worked for the City of North Las Vegas for 20 years as an officer before that.
Monroe-Moreno said her life started in foster care. She said she was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, and was adopted. She said her father served in the Air Force and her mother was a small business owner.
She said her parents continued to foster children after adopting her. “You might age out of the system, but not out of my parents’ home,” she said.
Monroe-Moreno said her father advocated for veterans’ issues and her mother advocated for children’s rights and health care issues. She said that as an officer, she spoke at City Council meetings about ways the city could do things better.
She said she testified in court on behalf of North Las Vegas officers as a representative of the North Las Vegas Police Association. She said the city had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the union and chose not to honor it when the city was considering closing the jail. She said the officers won back their jobs for the period covered by the memorandum, and she helped them find jobs with other agencies.
Cost of living and housing
Monroe-Moreno said the cost of everything is high. She named housing, food at the grocery store and gas.
She said she spoke last week with an employer whose employees live in North Las Vegas but whose facilities are not in the city. Monroe-Moreno said the employer cannot give raises to cover gas costs because of tariffs and the cost of doing business. She said they discussed the employer building another facility in North Las Vegas.
Asked about a single mother who cannot afford a down payment and is shut out by 6% and 7% interest rates, Monroe-Moreno pointed to competition from corporate home buyers. She said they are buying out neighborhoods and building rental neighborhoods.
Monroe-Moreno said her daughter, a single mother of two who worked full time and was a full-time student, was outbid on homes mainly by corporations.
She said a mayor and City Council set the tone for the city. Monroe-Moreno said she would put residents first in every decision. She said she would talk with real estate agents and home builders about affordable products and about programs for first-time buyers.
Monroe-Moreno said legislators receive calls on many topics and that she connects families with resources. She said the state helped with rental assistance and eviction diversion programs at one time. She said some programs are offered at the county or federal level.
Rent
Monroe-Moreno said some seniors on fixed incomes have seen rent rise by $400, $500 or $600 while their income has not. She said she understands why people push for rent caps.
She said she became the owner of her parents’ home after they died and rented it to a single mother with children. She said she kept the rent where it was because she knew the tenant’s income had not gone up. She said she also learned what it cost to repair the house for the next tenant. She said capping the rent was her personal choice.
Monroe-Moreno said a rent cap could hurt small landlords who are not corporations. She said she believes there is a way to balance the interests of those landlords with those of seniors, veterans and low-income families, so that any rent increase is one tenants can afford and budget for.
First 30 days
Monroe-Moreno said the city will have a new mayor, a new council member in Ward 3 and a new council member in Ward 1. She said her first action would be an audit of the city to find gaps in city government.
“I don’t know what we can do until I have a better understanding of what those gaps are,” she said. She said she wants transparency and a city government that is more responsive to residents.
Growth and public safety
Monroe-Moreno said North Las Vegas is growing because it has the land to expand. She said the city has a VA hospital, land for the next UNLV campus and work underway on a new hospital. She said she hopes to make North Las Vegas a destination.
She said that by the end of 12 years as mayor, she wants the city to have things that distinguish it from Las Vegas. She mentioned the Ice Age Park, Nevada State University campus, the UNLV campus, and a theater and museum she said the city does not currently have.
Asked how she would pay for more police as the city grows, Monroe-Moreno said she has almost 30 years in law enforcement. She said adding more people to the police department does not alone make a community safe. She said youth programs, crime diversion programs, after-school programs and summer league programs could reduce the need for more officers.
She said the audit would show where the city could find money for more officers if they are needed. Monroe-Moreno said she wants officers to be present at schools, senior centers and community events.
Legislative record
Monroe-Moreno said she carried a bill to create a maternal mortality review board in Nevada. She said she also worked on policies for midwifery and childbirth centers.
She said she carried legislation to save fossils at the state part of the Ice Age Park and to build out the park. She said the park is now an outside classroom for children.
Monroe-Moreno said Nevada left money on the table by not seeking some federal grants, or by having agencies compete for them. She said she carried a bill to create a state matching grant program. She said grants management allows tribal communities, cities, local governments, the state and nonprofits to work together.
She said she is leaving the Assembly as Speaker Pro Tem. She said she is the first Black woman to be in leadership in the Nevada State Assembly and the first Black woman to chair the Ways and Means Committee. She said she helped guide the state from an economic deficit to an economic surplus. She said that budget experience would help her as mayor.
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