Biographical Info

Occupation: Owner-operator, American Iron Gym

Campaign Phone: (775) 544-5414

Web Site: lopes4sparkscouncil.com

Email: bob@lopes4sparkscouncil.com

Age: 54

Marital Status: Married

Family: Tamara Dianda Lopes - wife, Daniel Lopes - son

Birthplace: San Rafael, California

Education

Graduated: Fernley High School 1974

Graduated: Four-year Apprenticeship - Sparks Local Union 350 of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters/AFL-CIO, 1981

Experience

• 1977 to Present: Member - Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 350
• 1995 to Present: Member - International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials
• 2008-2009 Nevada Board of Plumbing Examiners
• 1995-2009 Business Manager CEO and CFO - Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 350
• 2003-2009 General Partner - Hardy Mission Industrial Park
• 2003-2009 Vice-President - Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada/AFL-CIO
• 1995-2009 President - Nevada State Pipe Trades
• 1995-2009 Secretary - Local 350 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee
• 1995-2009 Trustee - Local 350 Health Welfare & Retirement Trust
• 1995-1997 Board Member - Job Opportunities in Nevada (JOIN)
• 1991-1994 Marketing Rep. - Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 350
• 1988-1994 Local 350 President
• 1985-1987 Local 350 Finance Committee
• 1974-1976 Nevada Cement Co.

More biographical info

Community Involvement

• 1987-1994 Head coach and assistant coach - United States national powerlifting team
• Athletic trainer of special-needs and at-risk youth
• Assisted in the operation of the annual Northern Nevada high school weightlifting competition hosted by Hug High School and this year by Reno High School
  

Endorsements

• Building & Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada/AFL-CIO
• Associated General Contractors - Nevada Chapter
• Nevada Association Mechanical Contractors
• Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters
• Northern Nevada Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO
• Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 350
• Operating Engineers Local 3
• Nevada State AFL-CIO
• Laborers Local 169
• IBEW Local 401

Campaign Message

I offer a lifetime of experience representing working families. I have the time and the temperament to help lead the City of Sparks into a bright future.

Campaign Questions

Q: Describe one thing you want to accomplish if elected?

A: I would like people to say that I became a trusted, effective councilman who worked very hard to leave a better government than I found: Creating jobs by continuing to diversify our economy; maintaining safe, clean neighborhoods; and managing growth to balance development & infrastructure with open space to improve quality of life.

Q: What experience would you bring to controlling the budget?

A: I bring a long record of sound personal and professional financial management to the council table. As a family man, I have learned to live within our means and control our spending while living within our budget.

As business manager and chief executive officer of a labor union for 15 years, I was responsible for preparing a yearly financial plan while providing and maintaining services to our members, their families and retirees.

I gained substantial financial management experience as trustee for our union's apprenticeship training program, health insurance and retirement plans. We constantly sought cost-effective solutions, elimination of waste and built reserves. I turned an organization that was running a deficit into one that today has plentiful reserve funds to survive economic downturns.

In our private business, we purchased our building, stopped paying rent and reduced debt to create cash flow. By doing so, we have been able to weather this devastating economic downturn.

Q: What is your vision for downtown Sparks?

A: To create a downtown we can all be proud of, a community centerpiece and gathering place. To continue to revitalize the downtown core, creating jobs and a healthy small business environment while working to expand on the great special events we host.

Q: Given the drastic cut backs in local revenues and recent layoffs, do you favor consolidating services as one way to cut costs and avoid duplication of services? If so, what concrete step would you take in that regard?

A: Consolidation, if any, must not come at the cost of governmental independence. Any consolidation proposal must be narrowly focused and targeted. Any specific area must be studied in great detail and be thoroughly evaluated for effects on Sparks taxpayers and the community in general. Clear and convincing hard evidence must be on the record because not all consolidation programs in other communities have been proven to cut costs and improve efficiency.

Q: Why should voters elect you to city council?

A: I am a hardworking family-oriented person with diverse life experiences that resemble the community which I would be elected to serve.

Our city government faces hard, tough decisions today and in the immediate future. I offer decades of diverse business experience, managing job development and finding solutions to financial and personnel issues.

I am confident that I can apply that knowledge to make Sparks a better community. Our best days are still to come.

Q: What makes you different from your opponents?

A: My broad background gives me a unique perspective.

For 15 years I picked up a lunch box and went to work as a plumber / pipefitter.

In 1995, I was elected business manager, chief executive and chief financial officer of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union in Sparks, serving until 2009. I ran day-to-day operations including job development, working with our employers, training programs, pension, health and welfare plans.

During those years, I established and operated three successful local small businesses.

These life experiences have taught me how to work with people to build consensus.

I enter every situation with an open mind and conduct myself in good faith with the intent of creating a win-win outcome for all involved.

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Q: In what areas do you envision Sparks expanding in the future?  Where do you believe our land use priorities need to be centered?

A: Given the current economic climate and reduction of city services, we should focus our growth inwardly first. We should look at infilling vacant, unattended and run down areas already within the city limits that will not require huge and expensive expansion of city services.

Long-delayed attention needs to be paid to the Oddie Blvd. area, which is in my Ward 2.
We should manage growth to balance development and infrastructure with open space to improve our quality of life.

Q: What is your position on the Pyramid/McCarran intersection?  What needs to be done?

A: The current gridlock has resulted from poor planning and lack of coordination between the Regional Transportation Commission and regional planning entities. The Pyramid/McCarran Interchange proposal is just a band-aid on a bigger problem. With the traffic signals remaining from Rock Blvd. to U.S. 395, focusing on this one location will very probably just result in moving the congestion from the Pyramid/McCarran intersection farther west on McCarran and south to Pyramid and Interstate 80.

To address these serious traffic issues, we must aggressively move to enable smooth flow within the entire community. I believe that the Pyramid/U.S. 395 connector road would create far more efficient movement of vehicles.

It will cost less to build now than if we wait 15 years. (Remember the decades-long, very expensive completion of the McCarran loop.) The project will also create much-needed local jobs for our community.

I think that this approach will create a win-win situation for the Spanish Springs residents and the thousands of residents who would be affected by the currently proposed Pyramid/McCarran Interchange project.

Q: Do you feel the city's budget needs to be reformed?  

A: Yes.

Q: If so, how would you reform it? If not, what about the current budget works well?

A: The budget must be continually reviewed so that tax dollars are spent on essential services, with far better long term planning and far less wishful thinking about where revenues may come from.

Certainly we are working through the worst economic times of our generation. Property taxes and sales taxes have declined leaving the city with limited funds. We must learn from past mistakes and not repeat them.

Sensible economic development should be a major focus. Diversifying our economy is important to create jobs for our community. It will in turn create a stable and consistent tax base for our city. Neither the city's budget nor the local economy will improve until more Sparks people are working at good jobs with good pay.

As a city, we need to create a level playing field for our business community. We should not subsidize any business that is not bringing a new product or service to Sparks. It is unfair to lend assistance to a new business that directly competes with existing businesses already paying their fair share of taxes and employing local people.

Q: What do you think of the current status of public safety in Sparks?

A: Police and fire departments are both understaffed. As a city government, we have an obligation to protect the safety of our citizens. I will not support any additional budget cuts to public safety.

Q: What is the one change that you see necessary for the City of Sparks?

Leadership that protects the taxpayers and their interests (parks, roads, libraries, police and fire protection) while creating jobs for our community by continuing to diversify our economy.