Recent moves by Herrera seen by some as politically motivated

Adrienne Packer

Friday, Sept. 28, 2001 | 9:55 a.m.

Whether through a proposal to bail out the casino industry or a plan help its laid-off workers, Clark County Commission chairman Dario Herrera has moved into the local spotlight in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

But are his motives sincere, or is he looking only to strengthen a bid for a congressional seat?

"I don't know," said Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, a 20-year member of the board. "We're all political beings, and any proposal may have political overtones to it. Beyond that, I would never question any other commissioner's motives."

Herrera helped organize an economic roundtable, scheduled today, that includes Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Las Vegas, and Gov. Kenny Guinn. Fellow board members claim they weren't told of the meeting until a notice was released Wednesday.

Without lengthy discussion with board members, Herrera publicly announced he had placed an item on Tuesday's agenda; he said the county may offer free medical care for thousands of workers laid off after the Sept. 11 attacks.

It isn't clear who would be eligible for the free medical care proposed by Herrera.

Earlier this week Herrera asked Finance Director George Stevens to explore the possibility of deferring hotel-casinos' property tax and sales tax payments. That move, said Stevens, would violate state law.

Herrera scoffed at the suggestion that he was stealing the spotlight from his colleagues or catering to campaign contributors who will support his bid for Congress. He said he simply is searching for ways to help the community.

"To suggest I'm doing this for political gain are absolutely absurd," he said.

Stevens and other commissioners couldn't recall a time when local government has stepped in to bail out any industry during a slumping economy.

"When the airline industry is in trouble, you have the federal government bailing them out," Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates said. "But when the Oklahoma bombing occurred, you didn't hear of the local government bailing them out. Local government is not a bottomless pit."

Stevens said Clark County can't afford to use its already-suffering general fund balance to subsidize medical costs or -- if it was legal -- give casinos a break on taxes.

"Those are general revenue operations," Stevens said. "We have to expect revenues will already be down some."

With hotel occupancy faltering, and room rates falling, the county's share of room tax revenues for at least September will likely be unsubstantial, Stevens said.

He expects the county to be able to pay off debt services, but major projects such as pedestrian bridges, the Harmon Avenue extension and the completion of Frank Sinatra Drive -- an Interstate 15 frontage road -- may be delayed.

Gates said she was most surprised by Herrera's proposals to defer taxes and offer free medical costs, because the board has yet to look at the implications of the moves.

"It's irresponsible of us as elected officials to rush into something without knowing what the financial implications might be," Atkinson Gates said.

Herrera said he had conversations with county staff, including social service representatives, and University Medical Center administrators about several medical care options before he placed an item on Tuesday's agenda.

"I never said this is the option we must adopt; it's one of myriad options we must consider," Herrera said.

The motives behind Herrera's proposals may be unclear, but the consequences have become obvious: They sparked controversy and claims of unfair politics among board members already troubled by personality conflicts.

Herrera was one of several board members who this past spring criticized Commissioner Erin Kenny for surprising the board with an agenda item to approve a bond issue to build a children's hospital. Commissioners faced potential political fallout if they had voted against such a project.

After the controversy related to Kenny's project, Herrera supported a proposal to require at least two other board members to approve an item before it is placed on a meeting agenda. The proposal eventually died.

Board members said Herrera's pitch to offer free medical care puts them in the same position as did Kenny's children's hospital agenda item.

"He put items on the agenda without discussing them with his colleagues and tries to paint us in a bad light," Atkinson Gates said. "To say we're not compassionate is not fair. We are, but we also have to look out for taxpayer money."

Kenny and Atkinson Gates on Tuesday plan to ask leaders in the health care community to join the discussion and help develop a cohesive plan to address medical issues for the unemployed.

"We are very concerned about all the people in the community and want to make sure everyone is taken care of," Kenny said. "This may be an area that is too taxing for any single entity to absorb."

Aside from believing Herrera looked past the financial consequences of his proposals, commissioners are also angry with the manner in which the board chairman handled a planned roundtable meeting scheduled to discuss the local economic crisis.

Union members and local business leaders are expected to join Herrera, Berkley and Guinn at the 1 p.m. meeting in the Mead Room at the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

Woodbury said it is unusual for the chairman to take part in such a high-profile gathering without at least notifying other commissioners well in advance.

"As chairman, you have an obligation to let colleagues know as much as possible if you're purporting to represent the county," said Woodbury, who has prior engagements and cannot attend the meeting. "This is an issue where commissioners maybe should have been notified."

Herrera said he specifically asked county administrators to write a meeting notice to allow all board members to attend without violating open meeting laws.

"The reason we agendized the item is to have collaborative input of my colleagues," Herrera said. "If they choose to turn a deaf ear on these very real economic issues that are threatening to compromise the quality of life in Southern Nevada, that's their choice."