Reilly, Deane reach accord on recorder’s office woes

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 9:35 a.m.

Clark County Recorder Fran Deane and County Manager Thom Reilly reached a sort of detente before a taping of a cable news program Thursday.

Reilly said the two had "a very heated discussion" that ended with a pledge by the recorder to cooperate with other county departments.

The two have sparred in the media over the handling of Deane's office, a contract to provide Internet access to recorder records, and conditions for employees in the recorder's office.

"She pledged to work more closely with the county in making the office work more smoothly," Reilly said. "That's definitely welcomed."

Reilly, who is appointed by the Clark County Commission and has no direct authority over the elected recorder, said he told Deane that if she had been a department head, she would have been fired.

But absent a resignation or successful recall effort, "We don't have a choice," Reilly said. "We have to work with her."

Both officials appeared on "Face to Face With Jon Ralston," which airs on Las Vegas ONE, Cox Cable channels 1 and 39.

The two were taped separately but talked on the phone before the taping.

"I think he needed to hear what I wanted, and I needed to hear what he wanted," Deane said. "Once that was on the table, I think we found that we weren't that far apart."

Deane, battered by accusations that she has given preferential treatment to property title companies that funnel most of the work through her office, created a hostile work atmosphere and tried to profit from her position, has said her interest is in correcting past problems and building a smoothly functioning office.

"My focus has been on delivering the best county recorder's office that has ever been," she said.

Deane was elected in November and sworn in last January as the chief of the recorder's office, which provides essential documentation for property, birth, death and marriage records.

While Deane said she has cut the lag time in the processing of paperwork by weeks over the previous administration, she remains concerned about a contract to build an Internet-accessible computer system in her office that she believes is costing too much. That issue is scheduled to come before the County Commission on Sept. 16.

She also remains concerned that the volume of work impairs the ability of her staff to get the job done.

Deane said she is seeking to hire 10 full-time staff members to add to the employees in the office.

"Once those are filled, we will be one step closer to being able to address that volume," she said.

Reilly said filling the positions, including five vacancies and five new positions authorized last month by the County Commission, should help address the volume.

"It's probably not 100 percent of everything she wants, but we're short all over the county," he said.