The American Resolution: Sandoval's pledge of a daily act of kindness leads New year's vows in Carson

As the dawn of 2012 breaks Sunday morning, many people will take advantage of the fresh start afforded by the calendar to resolve to live better in the coming year.

As governor of the state of Nevada, Brian Sandoval said that he intends to perform a random act of kindness every day and to read two books every month, according to members of his staff.

Bob Crowell, mayor of the capital city, relaxed in his office at City Hall Friday afternoon to consider not only what he would like to improve personally, but what his hopes are for Carson City.

"My personal resolution is to get more exercise. I need to get out into our open spaces," Crowell said. "But as mayor, I want to continue to work toward an environment that is safe and comfortable for the elderly and continuing to build a quality of life that is conducive to young entrepreneurs coming to Carson City to raise their children, a place where they can live, work and play."

Reflecting on 2011, Crowell concedes it wasn't all good, considering the IHOP tragedy and the shaky economy, but he said he is hopeful about 2012.

"The economy is coming off the bottom, and our unemployment rate is declining, but still unacceptably high. Sales taxes are starting to move up slowly, but it's not what we would hope," he said.

"I was pleased to read in the Nevada Appeal about smaller foreclosure rates and home values starting to come back and that the number of vacant properties is going down. The fact that our industrial areas are starting to fill up is also positive news," he said.

Crowell's hopes for 2012 include seeing the City Center Project move forward.

"It depends on whether the private capital can be raised. We have to raise $21 million first, and they're making progress on that," Crowell said.

Budget issues are likely going to be something officials will have to cope with again this year, he said, primarily because of lagging sales tax revenues.

Carson City is not as bad off as other cities because a lot of people have put a lot of effort into helping to trim the fat over the past several years, he said.

But overall, Crowell said he believes Carson City will continue to shine.

"We are a geographically compact community and we try to operate collectively to pull ourselves up and move forward. The open space referendum has done wonders, the V&T Train is starting to take off and the flower baskets downtown look great," he said.

"My biggest selling point to people who want to come here is our health care, schools and cultural activities, but we've got a real sense of community here, too. Every major company I talk to, whether they end up moving here or not, tells me it's a wonderful community," Crowell said.

A quick canvass of New Year's resolutions from some of Carson City's other leaders also turned up a mix of results.

Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong:

"I just hope we can have a better year than last year, when we got our rear-end handed to us. I don't have any personal resolutions, but I'll probably wish I'd made some. As a department, we'll be trying to refocus our efforts on traffic accidents - that's a big issue for us right now. Tailgaters are a challenge to all of us right now. On the flip side coming at us pretty hard is that our crime (statistics) are not falling like they have been, and we attribute that to drugs and alcohol. In trying to get theft-related crimes down, we know that that they are absolutely drug-related. Our focus next year will be to go after the users, and they are vast in numbers."

Carson City Convention and Visitor's Bureau Director Candy Duncan:

"My personal resolution? To be more appreciative of the gifts I have in life - family, friends, health, etc. For the bureau, I am hoping that 2012 brings us all together in a more collaborative spirit with our partners and our community, realizing that the goal for all of us is the same - to continue to make Carson City a destination to be proud of for our visitors and our residents."

Carson City Chamber of Commerce Director Ronni Hannaman:

"Personally, I want to travel as much as I can while I still have good health and am mobile enough to do so. As for a resolution, I don't normally make resolutions, for if I do, and I break them, then I feel guilty. As for the chamber, we want to continue to work to attract those who wish to work, live and play in our city by presenting our great city in the best light possible at all times. We will continue our clean-up program with our community and business volunteers to show pride in our city. Since this will be an election year, we will again present the candidates to the public in a non-partisan public forum so voters may make informed choices as to who will be best for our future. Like many others, we think 2012 will show positive gains - how could it not in the Year of the Dragon, which promises good fortune and success for all."

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid:

My resolution is "making sure that our Senate continues to reflect our Nevada values of hard work, opportunity for everyone, and finding solutions."