Columnist Jeff German: Gates has edge over Hunt in county chairmanship battle

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

DESPITE WHAT YOU'VE heard elsewhere, the political oddsmakers are declaring Yvonne Atkinson Gates the favorite to retain her chairmanship of the Clark County Commission.

That's not to say Commissioner Lorraine Hunt isn't giving Gates a fight.

The chairmanship usually is rotated among the seven commissioners every two years, and, for that reason, veteran Commissioner Bruce Woodbury is backing fellow Republican Hunt.

Commissioner Erin Kenny, who's not a Gates fan, also is said to be siding with Hunt.

Gates, however, claims to have locked up the votes of the two newest commissioners, Lance Malone and Mary Kincaid.

With Commissioner Myrna Williams, that gives Gates the four votes she needs.

Gates is hoping to forge a coalition that will take steps to improve the way the county does business with the public.

Though Hunt came on board after Gates, Hunt is regarded as aligning herself more with the old guard fighting the reform movement.

Maybe it's wishful thinking on the part of some old-timers, but word is being put out that Hunt may have lined up four votes, too.

Speculation is that Malone, a Republican like Hunt, could wind up being the swing vote by the time the balloting takes place in January.

It might explain why Woodbury and County Manager Pat Shalmy have been eager to meet with Malone, who ran on a platform of making the county more accessible to the people.

If Shalmy had a vote, he'd likely cast it for Hunt, who gets along much better with him than Gates.

Shalmy's future as county manager is said to be more secure with Hunt at the helm.

Woodbury has yet to connect with Malone, who defeated longtime Commissioner Paul Christensen, the protector of many in county government, including Shalmy.

But Shalmy met with Malone last week, and he came away with a good feeling.

Shalmy describes Malone as a "nice guy," especially since the commissioner-elect told him he wasn't out to force his resignation.

Malone, according to Shalmy, wants to learn the ropes of county government and isn't all that eager to stir things up at the moment.

But Shalmy is smart enough to see that the political winds of change are coming to the county. He's not likely to work too hard against Gates, who seems destined to be at the forefront of the transformation.

As late as last week, Malone reportedly reaffirmed his commitment to Gates.

Though talk persists that Shalmy's future is in question, no action is likely in the near future. And frankly, it may never happen.

Shalmy is a survivor adept at demonstrating his worth to elected officials.

With so many new faces on the commission, his steadying hand will be needed more than ever.

His experience will be invaluable at the Legislature next year, as the county resumes its tax-shift battle with its sometimes neurotic city adversaries.

But whether Shalmy gets the chairwoman he wants to lead the county's forces is another story.

At the moment, the odds aren't in his favor.

* Assemblywoman Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, is starting to feel like a victim of the legislative money battle between Northern and Southern Nevada.

Tiffany has been a strong advocate of ensuring that Southern Nevada tax dollars remain here to meet growth needs.

But she believes her loyalty is being met with retribution from greedy Northern colleagues who control the leadership positions of both houses.

Tiffany charges that Northern Republicans poured thousands into her opponent's campaign this year in an attempt to unseat her.

And now, she says, a move is afoot to bounce her from the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the state's purse strings.

"The South has a majority in the Legislature," Tiffany says. "It's high time we rise above partisan politics and stick together for Clark County."

If you're a Southerner, she makes a good point.

* Three of Southern Nevada's top federal prosecutors are being honored Friday in Washington, D.C., by Attorney General Janet Reno.

Howard Zlotnick, John Ham and Colette Rausch are being singled out in the nation's capital for their crucial roles in "Operation Senior Sentinel," a headline-grabbing nationwide probe of illegal telemarketers.

Last December, Reno held a news conference in Las Vegas announcing the undercover operation had broken up 26 Las Vegas-based boiler room operations preying on citizens across the country.

More than 400 people in 14 states, including Nevada, were charged in the unprecedented probe.

U.S. Attorney Kathryn Landreth plans to be on hand for the ceremony honoring her deputies.

Gates

Hunt