Officials face new rules, deadline for financial reports

Friday, Jan. 9, 2004 | 9:53 a.m.

Filing dates for financial disclosures and reports of political contribution loom for local and state officials, and some of the requirements have a few new wrinkles because of changes to state law made by the Legislature last year.

Those officials, both elected and in many cases appointed, have to submit disclosures of financial information to the Nevada secretary of state's office by Thursday. All elected officials or anyone who has received more than $100 in campaign contributions, political organizations and advocacy groups have to file reports outlining their contributions and expenses by the same date.

All elected officials as well as all potential or already declared candidates for public offices with districts completely within Clark County have to file those contribution and expense reports with the Clark County Election Department. Those whose districts cross county lines would file with the Secretary of State.

Elections officials here and in Carson City emphasized that elected officials who are not officially running for office in this election cycle still must submit the contribution and expense reports.

Secretary of State Dean Heller also is asking candidates and elected officials to voluntarily submit beginning and ending balance information on the contribution forms.

Several changes occurred to the reporting requirements this year. Changes passed last year by the Legislature include a requirement that only those appointed officials who received more than $6,000 a year in compensation must file their annual financial disclosure statement, and they would file that information with the secretary of state.

Before the change, they would file that information with the Nevada Ethics Commission, and any appointee would have to file. Stacey Jennings, commission executive director, said that meant thousands of appointees for boards who would receive a small travel stipend had to file the statements.

Now, the law is targeted to those appointees who make real income from their boards or jobs, such as county or city managers or department heads, she said.

Information that must be included in the disclosure includes the office, income sources, any business ownership, and debts other than home and vehicle loans. Officials also must reveal any gift or gifts of $200 or more from a single source in a year, except those from friends or family for a "ceremonial" occasion such as a birthday, Jennings said.

In previous years, the filing date was in March, but it was moved to January to coincide with the dates for the contributions and expenses information, she said.

Larry Lomax, Clark County registrar of voters, said people will have a new service to look at those contributions and expenses. Beginning next week, the county elections department will post information it receives online.

The online information will include this year's contribution and spending reports, but previous years going back to 1998 as well, he said.

Steve George, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office, said the financial disclosure forms also will be posted on his office's website.

State and local officials said that although the filing requirements are set by law for Thursday, and the penalty for violating the requirements can go up to $5,000, not all information will be up on the Internet immediately. Although the offices said they will put up the information they receive within 24 hours, the forms can be mailed on Thursday and could take several days to arrive.

"As we receive them, we will post them on the Internet," Lomax said of Clark County's efforts. "If we don't have the information, we will post a message saying that the information was not yet received."