Q&A Tuesday: Marv Teixeira, mayoral candidate

Marv Teixeira is a former two-term mayor of Carson City. He is retired from IBM, where he worked as a marketing account manager . He and his wife, Liz, have three grown sons and four grandchildren.

After eight years of service as mayor from 1988-1996, why are you running again?

I've lived in this community for 43 years. My sons are here, my grandchildren are here, and I've had the privilege and honor to serve as mayor. If I didn't feel I had something to offer people and give them a choice, I wouldn't have run.

How do you manage growth expected to spring up along the new freeway?

That's the best kind of growth Carson City can have. It brings room tax and sales tax. That's something the community needs very badly. It's unfortunate it's taken so long to build. Once the freeway's built, we will have the kind of growth this community really needs.

After implementing a nickel tax in 1997, the city recently paid the Nevada Department of Transportation $15 million for the freeway. What do you think about it, and is this the last time the city will pay NDOT in connection with this project?

When I committed the 5-cent gas tax toward the Carson Freeway, that was to get NDOT to commit to the project. That commitment cost every man, woman and child $400 in gas tax. That was an unprecedented contribution for a community our size. I did not agree with the additional $15 million. That brings it up to $650 per person just for the route to Fairview. There is no further commitment past 2010. By then it will have taken 10 years to complete to the first leg. If I'm mayor, there's no way I would commit to further funding, and I would work to get that $15 million reduced.

What are the water supply problems faced by the city and what does the city need to do to solve them?

The water supply problem in '89 was much more acute than today. We took a proactive approach and purchased water and updated delivery. We put in the multimillion-dollar Quill treatment plant.

What good is water when you don't have the means to provide it? This town deserves better. Spend the money necessary to repair the system.

The city is highly dependent on sales tax. What should the city do to stabilize its sales tax revenue and economy?

First, curb migration of retailers to Douglas County. I plan to visit every retailer to ask them their long-term and short-term goals and what are their immediate concerns. Demonstrate that it's important to us. Actively go into the market and solicit retailers. We just lost $20 million in one year in general merchandise sales. We're too dependent on car dealers. We have to diversify.

The latest Roop Street widening project was scrapped. What do we do about it in the meantime?

That project and others have to be done. The freeway solves a lot of the through traffic problems, but Roop and other streets help us with internal traffic problems, which are acute. I'm upset that the $15 million could have been put to good use.

Why are you a better choice for mayor than your opponent?

The mayor and I differ in style and philosophy. We both really care about this community. We both have eight-year records. I hope the people will look closely at those eight-year records and where we are today, and choose who has the proven leadership to take us through the next four years. I have the quality, passion and vision to put Carson City back on track again.