North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon had a lot to brag about during his half-hour annual State of the City address Jan. 20 at Texas Station.

In 2004, North Las Vegas saw the completion of several multi-million dollar public works projects, the planning of some of the valley's largest economic development undertakings, and an astounding expansion that made it the second-fastest growing large city in the nation --- after Gilbert, Ariz., --- with a population of 170,000, up by 45 percent since 2000.