Marv Teixeira returns as mayor

He's back.

After eight years as a private citizen, Marv Teixeira was ready to be sworn in this morning for another term - his third four-year stint - as mayor of Carson City.

"I don't think there's a learning curve," he said. After a quiet swearing-in by District Judge Bill Maddox, Teixeira said he planned to head for City Hall and go to work.

His agenda, he said, is to get everyone in Carson City and the entire surrounding area pulling together in the same direction.

"There's a little bit of work to do with the Legislature and a little to be done with the state," he said. "There's a substantial amount of work with the surrounding counties, and some within the city."

A prime example of the latter, he said, is the hard feelings still expressed by some over the effort to change Fuji Park into a retail development.

"When you polarize a community like with Fuji Park, you almost split the community," he said. "They're fully looking over their shoulder, wondering when we're going to attack that park again. I made a commitment to them to deed restrict that park, and I intend to keep it."

And that is the kind of thing needed to "help bring people back together."

Teixeira said, after several years of economic warfare between Carson City and surrounding communities, improving relations with other area governments will also be high on his agenda.

"We must do something with neighboring counties to bring us all together," he said.

He said the kickoff might be a joint reception for lawmakers when they arrive for the 2005 session.

"It would be a good idea for us to do a four-county reception with us, Lyon, Douglas and Storey all hosting," he said.

But he said he wants to go farther than that.

"We should form a multi-county compact that will define our willingness to work together in commerce, in water, in transportation. There are so many areas where we must work collaboratively."

And Teixeira said a project begun when he was mayor in the early 1990s could be a major element of that effort.

"The V&T Railroad project is, without a doubt, the icing on the cake, the project that will give not just Carson City but the whole region an identity. It will have a beneficial financial impact on everybody."

He said he intends to return to his seat on that commission.

Carson City itself, he said, needs to broaden its economic base now that Douglas County and the Dayton corridor are drawing major retail stores and other businesses.

"The thing is, when we were so top heavy in one area, anything could cause a turnaround. We have a base, and there are a lot of retailers who don't want to be in a mall environment. It's must be a matter of finding these people and working with them."

Teixeira said, however, he and the Board of Supervisors will have to deal with some less pleasant problems as well.

"We have some problems looming in front of us," he said. "We have to fix our water infrastructure. Should we go through another summer like we did last year, we were dangerously close to not being able to provide what people expect when they turn on the tap.

"As a board, we're going to have to do that very unpopular thing and raise rates, but there's nowhere to hide on this issue. We can no longer prolong it. We just have to try do it with a minimum of pain."

"But if you give them a solution that is reasonable and equitable, I think people understand what the situation is," he said.

Teixeira said the key is communication - "Not dictating, but communicating with people."

He said all those goals are made easier because "the pieces are all there."

"I'm fortunate the board - my peers - the city manager we have and staff and the employees of Carson City are about as good as you could ask for. So I don't have much to work on internally," he said.

"I expect a smooth partnership."

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or 687-8750.