McDonald recall group says signature total reached

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.

Residents attempting to recall Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald from office say they obtained the required number of signatures Monday night.

The volunteer committee was required to obtain signatures of 2,995 people -- or 25 percent of the total number of registered voters -- who voted in the most recent Ward 1 election.

As late as Monday afternoon the committee still needed 300 signatures to reach the total and was striving for a cushion to withstand any expected legal challenges to the petition.

"It looks like we have about 3,000," former City Councilman Steve Miller said this morning. "We went over the top on our last count, and our volunteers are walking again this morning."

Committee representatives are expected to turn in their petitions to the Las Vegas City Clerk's office at 4 p.m. today.

If City Clerk Roni Ronemus determines the committee has met the required 2,995 signatures, she will order a special election to be held within 20 business days.

The special election will ask Ward 1 voters whether they want to recall McDonald or retain him.

If voters decide to recall McDonald, the City Council will then vote to appoint a replacement.

But McDonald, dogged by ethics violations and the potential criminal prosecution, could fight the recall effort several ways.

For starters he could challenge the veracity of the committee's petitions with a lawsuit in District Court.

If that fails, McDonald and his supporters could also launch a publicity campaign aimed at discrediting Miller, and as a result, the committee's efforts.

Should McDonald successfully fight the recall, he still faces ouster from office two other ways.

The Las Vegas Ethics Review Board will meet Dec. 21 to determine whether McDonald should be prosecuted in the city's Municipal Court for violating ethics laws.

The board ruled last month that McDonald broke the city's laws twice. After that ruling the City Council stripped McDonald of his mayor pro tem status.

McDonald also will face the Nevada Ethics Commission in February on the same charges for which he has already been found guilty at the city level. The state commission has the power to initiate impeachment proceedings against McDonald.