Loss of LV ethics panel will give state officials more work

Friday, Jan. 17, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The decision in December by the Las Vegas City Council to abolish its ethics code and ethics board is going to throw more work on the state Ethics Commission.

Stacy Jennings, executive director of the state commission, said Thursday the elimination of the Las Vegas board should result in about five more complaints a year filed with her office -- a 20 percent increase.

Jennings said she also expected 36 to 60 more requests a year for advisory opinions from public officials because of the shutdown of the Las Vegas operation. That will be a 125 percent increase.

She told commission members Thursday her staff would need additional paralegal support to handle the advisory opinions. The commission authorized her to ask the Legislature for an additional $55,000 over the budget recommended by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

The commission also agreed to push for a change in the law on fines for office holders and political candidates filing financial disclosure statements late.

The fines currently start at $25 for the first day filings are late and escalate as time passes. Some fines have run up to several thousand dollars.

The commission wants the law changed to declare that a financial statement must be filed within 45 days of the deadline. Failure to meet that deadline would be a $2,000 fine.

In addition, the commission is recommending:

The commission also found there was no conflict of interest involving Sue Fawn Chung of Las Vegas, who was appointed to the state Commission on Museums and History. Chung had asked for an advisory opinion from the commission.

Before her appointment to the commission, she had a contract with the museums and history agency to produce an exhibit for the railroad museum.

The commission found that she could complete the contract without being guilty of a conflict of interest.