County: Recorder is beyond its control

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2000 | 10:55 a.m.

Most everyone in the Clark County Commission chambers Tuesday had questions about why so many employees have left the recorder's office and what can be done to resolve turmoil in the division.

But much to the frustration of commissioners, union representatives and employees, nobody could offer any concrete answers.

Commissioner Dario Herrera directed County Manager Dale Askew to initiate a thorough review into claims that federal and state laws protecting employees in Recorder Judith Vandever's office are being violated.

The board also asked Askew to call a meeting with Vandever, the district attorney's office, Equal Employment Opportunity officials, union members, human resource officials and owners of title companies.

But what will come of the review and meeting was unclear. Ultimately the county has no authority over Vandever, an elected official, or what occurs in her department.

Vandever did not attend Tuesday's meeting; county officials said she watched the proceedings on her office monitor. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Former employee Andie Arellano told commissioners that 67 staff members have been fired, transferred to another department or quit since Vandever took office in 1995. Another employee said the American Disabilities Act had been violated.

Title company owners and residents who do business with the recorder's office said original documents are held onto for weeks and the verification of documents is five months behind schedule.

Although county taxpayers are liable for any lawsuits, commissioners and administrators are powerless.

"We have limited authority," Deputy District Attorney Mary Anne Miller said. "We can arrange for a transfer (of an employee), but we can't impede with the county recorder's activity.

"An elected official has a right to operate an office as he or she sees fit. If voters don't feel it is being run properly, they can recall her."

Miller added that in addition to moving employees out of the recorder's office, Askew can request training courses in state and federal laws.

Vandever's office has been the focus of county concerns for months, but the sudden firing of her assistant, Colleen Lamuraglia, thrust Vandever into the public spotlight.

Lamuraglia was fired last month after she applied for maternity leave and was approved then denied time off to fulfill her military duties.

While Lamuraglia was rehired a week later, the incident brought forth more complaints from former employees. The Service Employees International Union has received no response from the numerous grievances it has filed.

Union representative Katie Hughes-Appel said the 16 hours of mandatory monthly overtime Vandever requires of employees has been an ongoing problem. But the union gets nowhere when it files complaints about, for example, an employee who had to make up the mandatory overtime he missed while on vacation.

Hughes-Appel said because nothing was being done to protect employees, and Vandever retaliated each time a grievance was filed, the union stopped filing complaints.

"We backed off for awhile," she said. "Every time we brought grievances forward she became more vindictive and slapped more overtime on them."

Commissioners, who said they too have received numerous complaints about Vandever, agreed the county should use the authority they have to protect the employees and protect the county from lawsuits.