Woodbury plans to abstain again on golf-course vote

Ed Koch and Scott Reeder

Friday, Sept. 11, 1998 | 1:43 a.m.

County Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Mary Kincaid said today they will not ask for a delay on Tuesday's vote on a Strip golf complex but are encouraging any of the other five commissioners to make that motion.

The reason, as they outlined in memos sent Thursday to the Nevada Ethics Commission, is that they want that panel to make a quick decision on whether their friendships with any of the applicants is reason for them to abstain.

If the vote indeed takes place Tuesday to choose one of three proposals -- each headed by powerful local political or business leaders -- Woodbury said his intent as it now stands is to abstain.

"I will abstain on the main item and I will abstain on the vote to delay if that motion is made," Woodbury said today.

Woodbury said he did not know if it would be a conflict for him to make a motion to delay, but he indicated he does not want to take a chance given the recent high-profile ethics matters involving county and city officials.

"I haven't spoken to the other commissioners (about the delay)," he said. "I'd like to vote on the issue but I don't know if I can."

Kincaid said today that she is friends with all three applicants, but that she feels she can be fair.

"Because I'm friends with everybody, it would not affect my vote," she said. "I was shocked (when told by the county legal counsel to abstain).

"I may vote anyway. At some point, the craziness has to stop or government will come to a standstill. I was elected to use my good judgment, and I have never ducked an issue."

Proposals have been made by the U.S. Grand Prix-Las Vegas, headed by longtime political consultant and advertising executive Sig Rogich; the Walters Group, headed by golf course developer and sports gambler Billy Walters; and Club Corporation of America.

In his memo, Woodbury noted: "Sig Rogich and I have been friends for about 40 years. We were in the same class at Las Vegas High School. Although we have remained friends over the years, we have been able to get together socially only on rare occasions.

"Sig played a significant role in recommending to Gov. Robert List that he appoint me to fill a vacancy on the County Commission when I was appointed in 1981, and he was my campaign manager/ad agency for my 1982 campaign."

Woodbury said in his memo that Billy Walters co-sponsored a fund-raiser for him in 1996. Also, he noted, two of the attorneys/lobbyists for Club Corporation of America are former law partners.

Kincaid said she went to high school with attorney Mahlon Brown (of the Club Corporation project) and he has for years bought flowers from her North Las Vegas flower shop. She said she has been friends with Rogich for 20 years and Walters for about four years.

Kincaid has said previously that she also is friends with Andre Agassi, who is a close friend of her son and is involved with the Club Corporation group.

At stake is 163 acres along the Las Vegas Strip for the golf course.

On Sept. 1, the commission, haunted by recent Ethics Commission rulings and concerned about neighboring property owners, tabled the issue indefinitely. Woodbury and Kincaid abstained from that vote.

Commissioner Lance Malone put the matter on Tuesday's agenda for reconsideration.

If the commission again votes to delay the matter, the requests for a ruling by Woodbury and Kincaid could be put on the Ethics Commission agenda as early as Oct. 22, which would delay the commission's golf course vote until Nov. 3.

The Ethics Commission's recent probes have mostly targeted county board members who failed to disclose relationships with applicants.