Las Vegas Sun

December 2, 2009

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Letter: Lobbyist took county for ride at Coyote Springs

Friday, Sept. 1, 2000 | 9:25 a.m.

Why?

First, he lied about the possibility in 10 years or his lifetime to see profitable development of thousands of acres his firm owned called Coyote Springs.

Second, the Board of Equalization actually believed his lie and slashed $40,000 off his property tax bill.

Whittemore's plans for Nevada's largest master-planned community had already been in motion but nobody advised the appraiser who Whittemore hired what had been planned so he underestimated the property's value.

Then the board slashed $4.8 million off the official taxable value of Coyote Springs in Clark County on that appraisal.

But that is not all of this story.

Whittemore's attorney told the appraiser that this land could only be used for industrial purposes, not homes, but on which a golf course and a large community had already been planned.

Whittemore also sold the water rights on the property for $25 million to the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Pinnochio's nose is a pimple in relation to Harvey Whittemore's!

What is Clark County going to do about this?

SYLVIA LAMPE GROSS

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