Boggs McDonald seeking tougher ethics regulations

Erin Neff

Monday, Aug. 30, 1999 | 11:37 a.m.

The Las Vegas Ethics Review Board didn't see a need to change laws that require candidates disclose their investment partners, but that won't stop the City Council from imposing stricter guidelines.

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald will introduce a proposed ordinance Wednesday that would impose additional financial disclosure on real estate interests.

"It was one of those things I thought our city ethics commission would run with, but when they didn't, I felt I needed to pick up the ball and follow through with it," Boggs McDonald said.

Her bill would amend the city's ethics code to require disclosure of the names of all persons or entities who share an ownership or other interest in property with any candidate or holder of elected office.

The Ethics Review Board, a five-member volunteer commission appointed by the City Council, has spent two of its monthly meetings discussing the need for more disclosure.

However, that board has yet to make a recommendation to the council. And the proposed ordinance it was considering did not include disclosure of financial partners.

The Ethics Review Board's proposed ordinance dealt mostly with real estate descriptions and would have required the specific location of property by use of the assessor's parcel number.

The proposal Boggs McDonald will introduce at Wednesday's council meeting also requires description of the specific location of property.

Both the property description and business partners became an issue during the recent mayoral election, when Oscar Goodman was asked to disclose his business partners.

Goodman disclosed all of his partners after he was elected even though he was not required to do so. Still, Goodman argued that disclosure laws should be strengthened, and he will likely support Boggs McDonald's proposal.

"I felt that I needed to follow through with this because it's something the public needs to know," Boggs McDonald said.

The proposed ordinance is the second time Boggs McDonald has tackled disclosure requirements in just her first six weeks on the council.

Earlier this month, the council passed resolutions requiring greater disclosure of interests doing business with the city and the city's Redevelopment Agency. Both resolutions were sponsored by Boggs McDonald.

After her latest proposal is introduced Wednesday, it will be forwarded to the council's Recommending Committee for a public hearing before being sent back to the full council for a vote.