Talk of ousting county manager renewed

Adrienne Packer

Friday, Oct. 20, 2000 | 11:12 a.m.

As the Clark County Commission prepares to swear in a new board member in January, rumblings of a renewed effort to oust county manager Dale Askew have surfaced at the Government Center.

Askew's three-year contract expires in April, and if the board does not intend to extend it another two years, it must give Askew 90 days' notice.

Askew has come under fire from some commissioners because of his management style and communication skills. He has been accused of not being innovative enough to lead the county.

Unlike the first attempt to fire Askew last year, this time the process will likely be less secretive. Because Askew's contract is up, major decisions will be announced either in January to inform Askew his contract will be terminated or in April to renew it.

Askew said Thursday he suspects a push might even be made before the mandatory 90-day notice period. "It can happen any time," Askew said. "I suspect after the election there will be some type of effort made."

Clark County commissioners Dario Herrera and Erin Kenny tried to gain their fellow board members' support to fire Askew in August 1999. The commissioners claimed they had the four votes needed until their colleagues began to waffle.

Herrera, who was criticized for speaking publicly about Askew's weaknesses as a manager and calling for him to step down while Askew was on vacation, admitted he could have handled the situation better last year.

Herrera said he plans to remain quiet about the latest move, which reportedly will involve some of Southern Nevada's more influential political consultants.

Askew and Herrera agree that their relationship has improved during the last year, but that doesn't necessarily mean the commissioner will be in favor of keeping Askew.

"Any time you're responsible for a government of Clark County's size, you always have to be mindful of opportunities to improve," said Herrera, who declined to elaborate.

County sources said some board members hoped for one last effort to oust Askew before Commissioner Lance Malone -- who supported the first attempt -- leaves office. Malone was defeated in the primary election and will be replaced by either Republican Chip Maxfield or Democrat Lois Tarkanian.

The only two board members who strongly back Askew are commissioners Yvonne Atkinson Gates and Bruce Woodbury.

"I don't think anything is going to happen; we need to go on and continue to move forward and continue to do things for the community and the county," Atkinson Gates said. "This is counter-productive. I'm hopeful eventually we'll be able to work in unison and try to accomplish the needs of the valley instead of all the power play going on."

Malone said last week that he will not take part in a vote determining Askew's future since his term ends Jan. 1. That means whether the county manager's contract is renewed could depend on where board members Mary Kincaid and Myrna Williams stand.

Kincaid, who has been involved in a tight race to keep her seat, said she hadn't given Askew's future much thought. Williams did not return a phone message left at her office. Kenny also did not return a phone message.

Askew said that since last year he has met with disgruntled commissioners more frequently and is more sensitive to their needs. But he added that pleasing seven different personalities with different agendas is virtually impossible.

"I've tried to overcome that by being professional," Askew said. "As far as I know I still have the support of the majority of the board."

Askew said his 16 years at Clark County has helped him survive the frequent rumors about his future. He was former County Manager Pat Shalmy's assistant when Shalmy's job was threatened by commissioners.

"It does make you less effective than you otherwise could be," Askew said. "I'm concerned, but if I lose this job, I'll go find another one."

Shalmy, now the president of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, can relate to what Askew is going through. He said dealing with seven commissioners is like "herding cats."

"The constant challenge was the politics of the job, no doubt about it," Shalmy said. "I always understood that at any time four of those seven can determine your fate. You just have to know that and be comfortable with that."

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