Kenny’s meddling in race drives wedge into board

Adrienne Packer

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000 | 11:23 a.m.

Not too long ago, Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny was considered one of the more influential commissioners, sponsoring major zoning measures and initiating the process for the state's first children's hospital.

Kenny tried to use that influence -- along with her standing with unions -- to replace fellow Commissioner Mary Kincaid with Kenny's best friend, North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Stephanie Smith.

The second-term commissioner's decision to meddle in Kincaid's Sept. 5 primary race might have prompted a subtle yet significant shift on the board.

Kincaid survived the brutal campaign attacks, but she has had few kind words for Kenny. And although Kenny still has an ally in commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury, she lost support when Commissioner Lance Malone was beaten in the primary.

Now Woodbury, the peacemaker on the seven-member board, is left with a challenge: patching up relationships so the commission can concentrate on county matters.

"I'm hoping now that the primary elections are over, things will settle down a bit, but who knows," Woodbury said. "It's obvious there is a good deal of animosity among some commissioners, which makes life a little difficult."

Woodbury said he plans to meet with each commissioner individually to encourage them to put their differences aside.

"We just need to develop some kind of consensus to move forward on issues, not personalities or who is sponsoring a particular item," Woodbury said.

The first action on the new board -- which could be one of several decisions that Kenny opposes -- will likely be to appoint Commissioner Dario Herrera as the new chairman.

Kenny, a full-time law student and mother of five, said she has no interest in chairing the commission, but she strongly believes Woodbury should remain in the position that is up for grabs every two years.

"Any changes there would be a mistake; he is an outstanding chairman," Kenny said. "We've never enjoyed a higher approval rating."

Herrera and Kenny have clashed over multiple issues, particularly the recent proposal to place an $80-million bond issue on the November ballot to fund a free-standing children's hospital.

Herrera, along with commissioners Yvonne Atkinson Gates, Myrna Williams and Kincaid, have criticized Kenny for springing the hospital bond issue on them. They have repeatedly voted to delay the bond question until further needs-assessment studies can be conducted.

Herrera did not return phone calls.

A proposed policy being kicked around the government center would effectively keep Kenny or any other commissioner from placing such controversial issues on the agenda again.

The policy being considered says four commissioners must approve an item before it is placed on a meeting agenda, county sources said. County officials are exploring open meeting laws to determine if it can be done.

Kenny typically has Woodbury's vote, but even if she aligns with Malone's replacement -- either Democrat Lois Tarkanian or Republican Chip Maxfield -- she would have difficulty placing her issues on the agenda if the others are opposed to it.

Kenny said she doubts that her involvement in the Smith-Kincaid race will have a lasting impact on the chemistry of the board. She said she has always voted on the merits of an issue, not which commissioner happened to propose it.

Implementing a policy which gives some commissioners a better chance of pitching a project or proposal would be an "incredible injustice for the community."

"If you can't get the majority support on the board to proceed that's one thing, but to do something to prohibit conversation," Kenny said. "That's unbelievable."

While Woodbury also expressed concerns about such a policy, he said board members should be more forthcoming on their proposals before they're pitched to the rest of the commission.

"It doesn't hurt for commissioners to share their ideas on anything significant before they go ahead with them," Woodbury said. "That needs to be done more."