The Mesquite City Council meeting on Dec. 9 concluded with the adoption of a 180-day moratorium on new short-term residential (vacation) rentals. The December session also saw heartfelt goodbyes, impressive community achievements and prolonged public discussion on utility rate hikes and alleged retaliation within city departments.

The meeting saw Mayor Jesse Whipple, Councilpersons Pattie Gallo, Kevin Parrish, Bill Ennis and Karen Fielding in attendance, with Rebecca Lynn Schrupp settling into her role as the new city manager.

A decade of dedication: Advisory board member steps down

The meeting opened with Gallo and Whipple recognizing Jodi Thornley for her decade of service on the Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board. Thornley was lauded for her tireless commitment to the district, particularly for her instrumental role in the construction of the new gym at Virgin Valley High School.

See coverage of Thornley’s recognition in article “Retiring CEAB chair receives recognition”

Recognizing holiday spirit and community generosity

Mesquite recognized the artistic contributions of local students and celebrated the success of annual holiday traditions. City staffer Nancy Hewitt presented a certificate to Virgin Valley High School art teacher Tyler Roylance and his students for “painting our amazing holiday greeting for everyone to see as they pass by our city hall” on Nov. 22.

Debbie Benham, organizer of the Parade of Lights, announced the event was a “huge success” with 39 entries, making it the “largest parade that we’ve had.” Benham also provided an update on the community food drive, revealing its remarkable year-over-year growth.

2024 Total: 21,788 pounds

2025 Current Total (as of meeting date): 22,202.8 pounds

The drive has already surpassed last year’s total, with contributions still coming in, including nearly 2,300 pounds donated by Deep Roots Harvest.

“Santa” Mike Benham, Debbie’s husband, thanked the council and City Manager Schrupp.

Public comment: Retaliation, racism and rate hikes

The public comment period brought forth a mix of civic engagement and sharp criticism directed at city governance and other local entities.

John Rosen, a member of the Master Plan Committee, presented the committee’s work as a “precious gift,” offering the city a detailed “future vision of Mesquite” and a road map for decision-making. He urged the council to use the document as the “primary criteria by which you make your decisions.”

Allegations of retaliation and racism

Mike Benham delivered a pointed comment regarding what he called “the ugly side of Mesquite.” He recalled a previous comment that Mesquite had gone from being the “safest to the (most) racist city in Nevada,” which he implied led to the previous city manager’s removal. Benham then alleged he and his wife, Debbie, were being retaliated against by the fire and police departments. After filing a complaint about an inappropriate comment made by a fireman, they were “no longer Santa and Mrs. Claus for the fire department.” He claims he has been ostracized from events despite being an honorary fire company member and that the police department “ditched” them this year as Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Benham stated he had “another talk” with the Attorney General, who is reportedly working on the information he provided.

Nick Alfonsetti echoed concerns of departmental misconduct, referencing a subpoena he received (which was vacated) related to retaliation regarding disclosures he made about the Mesquite Police Department. He identified the individuals the subpoena pointed to and stated he is holding back on taking legal action but would pursue it if he receives another subpoena.

Utility rate increases: A burden shift?

Concerns over recent utility rate increases by OPD5 were raised by two local residents, highlighting a perceived unfair distribution of costs.

Gary Elgort criticized a recent $4 base rate increase across the board, which he calculated as a 12% increase for homeowners, arguing it unfairly puts the burden on residents.

David Ballweg, a business owner, offered a contrasting perspective, asserting that commercial users bear a significantly heavier burden. He explained that his business pays demand charges, fees for substations and distribution that residential users do not.

Ballweg pointed out that the demand rate charged by OPD is twice that of NV Energy ($9 vs. $4.50 per kilowatt peak), claiming that commercial entities “are carrying a big burden of what the cost for OPD is.” He added that residential customers in Mesquite are paying 75% less than a standard NV Energy customer.

School district report shows mixed academic trends

Lindsay Tomlinson, Region 1 superintendent for the Clark County School District, provided the third-quarter 2025 report, accompanied by associates. The report noted that the district successfully completed a compliance process improvement plan.

The percentage of schools rated three stars or higher remains at 66.7%. Virgin Valley High School holds a four-star rating, while Virgin Valley Elementary is a three-star school. Hughes Middle School and JL Bowler Elementary are now two-star schools.

Maurice Perkins shared several student and school achievements, including JL Bowler’s successful fall festival, Virgin Valley High School’s college and career fair and the academic state championships secured by the Virgin Valley boys tennis and girls golf teams.

Public Works progress

Public Works director Travis Anderson gave a robust update on the city’s numerous infrastructure projects, apologizing for the omnipresent orange cones.

Mill and Fill Project: “Going very well” on Mesquite and Sandhill Boulevard reconstruction.

Traffic Signal: Progressing well at Falcon Ridge and Hardy Way.

Justice Facility: “Progressing really well,” with the final touches on the Justice area and new offices.

Animal Shelter: “Coming along superb,” with ribbon-cutting anticipated soon.

Fire Station #2: Framing and mechanical work moving “very well and very fast.”

Moratorium approved: Battle over short-term rentals

The most contentious item of the meeting was Resolution No. R25-054, establishing a 180-day temporary moratorium on short-term residential (vacation) rentals.

Councilperson Ennis, who motioned for the moratorium, argued, “This is something that we need to implement so we can get our hands wrapped around what’s currently going on in our city.” He noted that with 244 rentals currently operating, he was unsure if they were following the ordinances. Councilperson Gallo agreed, noting, “We’re hearing a lot of horror stories from residents within the neighborhoods.”

Opposing the measure, Councilperson Fielding “didn’t understand this at all” and questioned how a moratorium serves “general public health.” Interim Attorney Adam Anderson, however, affirmed that the city is “well within its rights” to enact the moratorium, provided it has a “rational basis,” and noted that properties governed by HOAs that expressly permit STRs would be exempt.

The public debate was robust. Residents cited problems with noise, parking and loss of neighborhood stability. John Rosen and others saw the moratorium as a necessary “time-out” to develop a remediation plan for “planned, purposeful growth.” However, STR business owner Jay Gardner and his wife, Amy, voiced frustration, arguing they are proactive and responsible. They expressed concern that the council was ignoring the property rights of owners in neighborhoods that explicitly allow rentals.

After nearly an hour of debate, Ennis motioned for approval, seconded by Gallo. The motion passed with all members voting in favor, except Councilperson Fielding. The two subsequent conditional use permit applications for vacation rentals were immediately suspended under the new resolution.

Tavern license approved, financial request rejected

The council voted to approve a tavern liquor license for The Zone (taking over Envy Nightclub), contingent upon a Finding of Suitability from the Mesquite Police Department. This discussion quickly devolved into a heated debate over parking, with local business owners Raelene Schifano and Marcus Bender asserting that The Zone has inadequate parking and illegally utilizes their private lot, claiming the original conditional use permit (CUP) was obtained under false pretenses. Despite the parking concerns, the license was approved, with Gallo being the sole “no” vote because the police department’s finding had not yet been issued.

Finally, a request for $20,000 in financial support for the nonpartisan US 250 Tour Event was rejected. Rick McIntire provided research and claimed that the event was organized by a 501(c)(3) organization with the same board as a highly political 501(c)(4) group, which pays its board six-figure salaries. McIntire strongly advised, “Do not give one penny to these people,” leading the item to die for lack of a motion.

The council also approved several financial and administrative items, including a key interlocal agreement with the Southern Nevada Water Authority for the distribution of the infrastructure sales tax and the purchase and sale agreement for $800,000 to sell 15.26 acres of city-owned property for economic development purposes.