James cites family issues in resignation

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 | 11:09 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Mark James, who took office 15 months ago and represents a huge swath of the county including Spring Valley, shocked county leaders Tuesday by resigning his position effective April 2.

James, who was elected to the county post for a four-year term in November 2002, cited family issues as the reason for resigning. His father is seriously ill and his mother died shortly after he was sworn in.

Gov. Kenny Guinn will have to appoint a replacement, although it was unclear when he would do so.

In 15 months, the commission James was part of made huge strides by working cooperatively, a change from the previous commission.

He was a key voice on a commission that has made advancements in land-use planning and zoning rules as well as helping launch a task force to look at the impact of growth on the county.

Commissioner Rory Reid, a Democrat who took office at the same time as Reid, worked closely with James on land development and planning reforms as well as on the creation of the task force.

"We'll miss Mark for a lot of reasons," Reid said. "He was intelligent and brought a new voice to the commission. But while we will miss him, I think the train of change that Mark helped start is moving down the track and it will be hard to change that.

"I will say I'm proud of the work we did together. We were the two new guys that changed the way we did things. I think we've changed the perception with which people viewed the commission."

James said one reason he felt he could leave now is that some of the most important work has been achieved.

"I've accomplished a lot, and accomplished a lot that I said I would when I ran for office," he said. "We have changed the direction of county government."

He listed those accomplishments in his resignation letter: "major reform of zoning decisions and master planning, adoption of environmental protection and development design standards, control of billboards and creation of the Community Growth Task force to address the myriad challenges associated with our community's rapid growth."

Carolyn Edwards, a Spring Valley community activist who worked closely with James on the land-use changes, billboard restrictions and environmental rules, said the resignation would be a blow to the county.

"I am just stunned," she said. "I think it's a great loss for the community. He was helping to move the community in the right direction. I just hope his replacement doesn't tip the balance of power back to the way things were. I think they were making grand process toward making this community a better place to live."

James said it was a difficult decision. He said his father, former Nevada State Climatologist John James, has Parkinson's disease, a progressive neural disease.

"He has a very debilitating disease," Mark James said. "He needs our help."

James said that his father has recently needed that help, and he has not always been available to give it.

"Obviously, these are very difficult decisions," he said. "At some point, you just have to make decisions for yourself and your family."

James was elected in 2002 to a four-year term. He filed for office on the last day he could, the same day the incumbent commissioner, Erin Kenny, a Democrat, filed to run for lieutenant governor instead of for her seat. Kenny lost that race.

James won a primary against attorney Tim Cory by 2 percentage points, after winning union support and the support of Kenny. Union members were encouraged to register as Republicans to vote for James. He easily won the primary in a district with more Democratic voters than Republicans.

James quickly distinguished himself from Kenny, who was noted for her public support of some controversial local developers, among them Jim Rhodes. James opposed Rhodes' proposal to build thousands of homes on Blue Diamond Hill next to the Red Rock National Conservation Area while Kenny publicly lobbied for Rhodes' controversial development plan.

James went on to draft and successfully pass a county ordinance that effectively would make it impossible to develop a crowded subdivision in that area.

Kenny later agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with federal prosecutors in an unrelated investigation of political corruption involving a Las Vegas strip club owner.

Commission Chairman Chip Maxfield and Reid said most of the changes instituted with James' support and involvement are already in place.

Maxfield said James has already had a big impact, but his legacy could continue through the work of the task force studying growth.

"The land-use changes are in effect right now," he said. "That's past tense. The future tense is the growth task force. That is under way."

The change to the commission "all depends on who gets appointed," Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey said. "If it is somebody with the same philosophy and deportment, it probably won't change much, but if it is somebody very different, it could have an impact.

"Generally, the commission gets things done regardless of who's there."

"I hate to see him leave," Kincaid-Chauncey said, echoing comments by her colleagues. "The sad thing is he was really just starting to know the difference between state and county government and he was really starting to do a good job."