The North End Caves

This article fills me with foreboding, because this is I.'s employer at direct risk here:

The population nearly quadrupled, from fewer than 60,000 in 1990 to 223,394 last year. North Las Vegas earned the fastest-growing city title in 2007. Nevada was the fastest-growing state during the decade.

This year, the state leads the nation in bankruptcies, foreclosures and unemployment.

The collapse in North Las Vegas was sudden.

In 2005, more than 8,000 homes were built in the city. New construction dropped to 2,800 houses in 2008. Thousands of businesses within the city closed their doors as residents lost their homes, according to city records. Last year, about one in 15 homes in North Las Vegas was in foreclosure.

...The city added more than 400 employees to keep pace with growth from 2006-08. That number and hundreds more were dismissed within three years. In all, North Las Vegas has eliminated more than 800 positions since 2009, when it had 2,260 full-time employees.

...City workers are mostly appalled at the idea that the state government, which struggled to close a $1.5 billion budget gap this year, would have the gall to take over North Las Vegas.

"They are not in a financial situation to take over the city," firefighter Jeff Hurley said.

Even though police union leaders pulled down their warning signs in June, public safety officials said their concerns about being able to respond to multiple fires or violent crimes are serious.

"We haven't been able to catch up to the boom," said Hurley, president of the city firefighters union.

Less than a decade after they were built, the city's playgrounds, libraries and recreation centers could face closure. The new city hall is scheduled to open in October, but officials are considering trying to sell it.

Feelings of anger and despair were palpable at a recent city council meeting, as residents lined up for hours to implore city leaders to save their parks and recreation centers. Some residents hurled insults at the mayor.

"They just never thought that the ride would be over and the ride is over," longtime resident Tom Collins said.