One thing that has kept Larry Wilson in Sparks for 52 years is its hometown feel. It’s a quality he hopes to preserve, especially in Ward 1.

“Ward 1 could be the gem of the city: It has quaint, old-style homes and it could be the ‘grand old lady,’ “ he said. “It’s very interesting, some of the architectural designs on some them and it would nice to showcase these homes.”

Wilson is running for the Ward 1 seat, which will be vacated by veteran councilman John Mayer because of term limits. He said the city has given to him in so many ways that he feels compelled to reciprocate.

“I want to give back to the community and I’ve had a lot of experiences in lots of areas,” Wilson said. “I tell people I’ve done everything from cleaning toilets to flying helicopters and everything in between that would make me valuable for City Council.”

Wilson said he would seek to revitalize Ward 1, the oldest portion of Sparks that is bordered by Greenbrae on the north and spans east from Kietzke Lane to South McCarran Boulevard. He said many older homes in Ward 1 include rentals but the owners should still be accountable for maintaining them.

“Just because they’re older doesn’t mean they have to be run down,” Wilson said. “The landlords should be accountable to have them kept up and I plan on using code enforcement.”

Beyond the look of the ward, the retired schoolteacher and columnist for the Sparks Tribune said he’s concerned about the impact of development on Sparks and the city budget.

“Development’s good –– some’s good, some’s bad,” he said. “Copper Canyon’s gone belly up along with the downtown condos (on Victorian Avenue). I worry about city finances and getting involved in private development has an effect on finances. We’ve had layoffs in the planning department that we’ve never had before. I think if we watch our p’s and our q’s, things could get better.”

Traffic congestion relies on careful planning, he said, and he believes one solution would be to alleviate Pyramid Highway by cutting into Rosewood Golf Course.

“Don’t put (the road) on the ground and we can’t do an underpass; an overpass would flow smoother, air quality would improve and temperaments would improve,” he chuckled.

The Sparks High School graduate holds a master’s degree in school administration from the University of Nevada, Reno and Wilson taught in the Washoe County School District for 30 years. He also drove for RTC’s Citifare program and has sales, clerical and mechanical experience.



Wilson is also an Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War and earned numerous commendations and medals. Now he says he’s ready for public service to take on “bad guys” of a different sort.



“I think of the old west days when bad guys were coming after the settlers,” he said of developers and city government. “Now I think the city has to count its dollars a little more and take on projects that are truly viable ... and not decide, ‘Let’s do this willy-nilly.’ “

Wilson said he hopes to help Sparks any way he can to raise the quality of life for his former students and their families.

“What’s amazing is they say, ‘Hey, Mr. Wilson,’ and they have two or three kids of their own, they’re married and have an occupation and I’ve trained them on how to grow up,” he said. “If I get on the City Council, I hope I’ll be able to further their lives, make their lives a little bit better, hopefully.”