Nevada Term Limits Dispute Hits Another City Mayor Election

A term-limits legal challenge is shaking up another Nevada city mayor election. This one is the City of North Las Vegas. A lawsuit seeks to disqualify mayoral candidate and North Las Vegas Councilmember Scott Black, arguing that his prior service on the city council would push him over Nevada’s 12-year constitutional limit if he wins the mayor’s office.

Black has already served nine years on the North Las Vegas City Council. The lawsuit contends that the city’s charter treats the mayor as a member of the council, so time served in both roles counts together toward the cap established by the Nevada Constitution. A four-year mayoral term would therefore exceed the 12-year maximum.

Nevada voters approved the statewide term-limits measure in 1996, yet cities continue to interpret the rules differently based on their charters. Some treat mayoral and council service as entirely separate positions, while others, including North Las Vegas, combine them because the mayor presides over and sits on the council. No court has yet issued a definitive ruling on Black’s specific situation, leaving his eligibility unresolved.

The dispute echoes similar challenges in the City of Reno. In 2014, mayoral candidate George “Eddie” Lorton filed a lawsuit that led the Nevada Supreme Court to rule that term-limited Reno council members Jessica Sferrazza and Dwight Dortch could not run for mayor. The court determined that service in both roles counts against the same 12-year limit because the mayor is a member of the local governing body under the Reno City Charter.

Then, in 2022, a lawsuit challenged City of Reno mayoral candidate and Councilmember Jenny Brekhus over her eligibility due to prior council service, while incumbent Mayor Hillary Schieve faced similar public scrutiny but no formal court challenge to her candidacy. Both had already served extensive time on the Reno City Council. A Washoe County district court ruled that Brekhus could appear on the ballot, even though winning and serving a full mayoral term would cause her to exceed the 12-year limit. The related appeal became moot after Brekhus lost in the primary.

As the North Las Vegas case proceeds through Clark County District Court, a ruling could provide clearer guidance on term-limit calculations when mayoral and council roles overlap. The decision may affect not only this race but future local elections across the state.