Editorial: More accountability at Las Vegas City Hall

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 10:11 a.m.

The previous city auditor, Susan Toohey, was fired without explanation in March. After her dismissal she charged in a wrongful termination suit that a number of department audits she conducted were ignored by the city. One of the recommendations Toohey said she made to improve the operations was to give the auditor more independence.

As it exists now the city manager hires and fires the auditor, so the audit panel is recommending that an outside audit committee hire the city auditor, a change in policy that will require approval by the 1999 Legislature. The existing situation sets up an untenable conflict, creating the perception that an auditor might turn a blind eye to inappropriate practices in order to stay in the good graces of the city manager.

The Las Vegas City Council is expected to vote on this plan Monday. It should approve this proposal, ensuring that future city auditors have the authority to conduct truly independent audits.

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