One ethics violation pinned on Barrett

Adrienne Packer

Friday, June 22, 2001 | 11:20 a.m.

Accusations that a former Clark County facilities chief engaged in political campaigns and bullied his workers into joining him were flushed out Thursday in a five-hour ethics hearing.

Weighing the credibility of witnesses, the majority of the Nevada State Ethics Commission finally agreed on one violation -- Bill Barrett used his position to pressure his crews to work on political campaigns.

The five-member panel's decision thrilled neither Barrett nor his former employee Gene Smith, who filed the complaint.

Despite a 4-1 vote that Barrett violated the state ethics statute, he escaped without penalty because -- after virtually no discussion -- commissioners determined his behavior wasn't willful.

Still, his attorney, John Moran Jr., promised to appeal the ruling in District Court.

"Mr. Barrett is a dedicated, retired county employee," Moran said. "He's not interested in having one single blemish on his record this late in life."

The ethics commissioners' decision didn't come easily. First they had to sort through testimony that offered night-and-day impressions of the facilities division charged with maintaining some 560 buildings and 80 parks.

Barrett's cheerful depiction of his division as a tight family that delivered fliers and campaigned door-to-door for elected officials to build camaraderie among workers didn't fly with the ethics commission.

Neither did stories told by employees, who claimed they feared they would be demoted or fired if they didn't actively rally for Barrett's top picks for Clark County Commission and other elected positions.

"Mr. Barrett created an environment in which employees were heavily influenced to support his candidates," ethics commissioner Jim Kosinski finally reasoned.

Commissioners agreed that Barrett didn't violate three other ethics charges brought against him. They found little or no evidence that Barrett used county equipment to campaign, that he used his position to obtain unwarranted privileges or that he influenced his subordinates for personal gain.

The board's inability to prove Barrett used county equipment to campaign baffled those who testified against him.

Barrett was reprimanded by his bosses last August for campaigning on county time after he was captured on videotape wearing a Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid T-shirt while driving his county vehicle. The footage was aired on local television news broadcasts.

"This is like the Twilight Zone," said Smith, miffed the Ethics Commission declined to review the videotape or take into evidence the county memo reprimanding Barrett.

The ethics board also noted that Barrett was nearly fired five years ago for being politically active while on county time, but his job was spared by the county commission.

Ethics commissioner Rick Hsu questioned whether Barrett did indeed receive unwarranted privileges due to his campaigning and whether it was a county commissioner whom he supported that kept him from being fired.

Barrett, who in February was asked to resign, defended wearing a Kincaid shirt while driving a county car by saying he spilled cement on his work clothes and had only one spare shirt.

"It's against the law, it's unethical," Barrett said in response to the suggestion he campaigned while on the clock. "I'm here of all things. After 44 years of public service, I'm here. I know better than that."

Barrett's right-hand man Wally Kosbob testified that he, Barrett and others in the facility typically worked for incumbents -- primarily Democrats. Kosbob also conceded that he never campaigned for anyone Barrett did not support.

"We elect our bosses, that's what that was about," said Kosbob, who swore all campaigning was done on Saturday mornings and on a volunteer basis.

Barrett said he campaigned because he enjoys politics and feels especially strong that it's a privilege for public servants to have somewhat of a say in who becomes their bosses.

Commission chairman Peter Bernhard asked whether it was a coincidence Barrett always supported frontrunners, as if he benefited if his soon-to-be bosses would remember he worked on their campaigns. Barrett said he expected nothing in return when he campaigned for Kincaid, Myrna Williams, Erin Kenny, Dario Herrera and Bruce Woodbury.

"It wouldn't affect me one way or the other in my job," Barrett said.

Smith testified he campaigned with Barrett using county equipment, but perhaps the most bruising testimony came from Rudy Sideri, whose shy demeanor and blunt answers appeared to stick with the board.

Sideri said took part in team leaders meetings every Thursday at breakfast. At the end of one meeting -- and in the heat of a Kincaid race -- Sideri said Barrett dropped a yellow envelope into his lap. The folder included a map of Sideri's neighborhood and Kincaid campaign leaflets.

Sideri also testified that campaign signs were made in county buildings.

Barrett's attorney Shawn Huggins grilled Sideri -- and other witnesses -- on whether Barrett specifically asked him to campaign. Sideri, like his former co-workers, said Barrett might not have specifically asked but the implications were clear.

"If I didn't, my budget and manpower was cut," Sideri said. "When we'd walk a campaign, we weren't touched."

Barrett supporters said they were never forced to campaign but Sideri, along with a handful of his former colleagues, talked about the need to play "Billy ball" -- a phrase that meant do what the boss says.

"If you didn't play Billy ball, you got screwed with all the time," Sideri said. "It was irritating so you might as well just play ball."