Audit spreads focus of deals

J. Craig Anderson

Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005 | 7:57 a.m.

Clark County's top auditor reiterated to the County Commission on Tuesday that Tim Morse conducted "questionable" appraisals on airport land that the county traded to developers, who sold it quickly for millions in profits.

But a county audit report released Monday shows that of the four appraisers used in the land exchanges, the work of two others proved more profitable to developers than Morse's appraisals.

County Audit Director Jeremiah Carroll's report focused on Morse, the appraiser of 480 acres of airport land that was traded to developers, who then sold it for an estimated gain of $77.5 million.

The audit alleges that Morse undervalued the land so when the people who acquired the airport property sold it, they would reap a greater profit.

However, of the four appraisers used -- Gary Kent, Shellie Lowe, Foster Clark and Morse -- Kent's appraisals proved most lucrative per acre for developers.

The audit report shows that land Kent appraised was sold by developers for an average gain of $464,829 per acre.

Properties appraised by Lowe resulted in an average gain per acre of $220,785 for developers.

Morse appraised the most land by far -- 480 acres compared with 95 for the other three combined. However, developers only gained $161,560 per acre from selling land he appraised.

The average per-acre gain from land Clark appraised was $144,393.

Morse's attorney, Donald Campbell, said Wednesday in a written statement to the political talk show "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Las Vegas ONE, that the county's allegations are "slimy and shameless," and he has vowed to take legal action.

Metro Police said they have found no criminal activity in connection with the land exchanges, but a police official said investigators uncovered some possible criminal activity connected to a federal investigation.

The county has filed a formal complaint to the Nevada Division of Business and Industry's Real Estate Division, which investigates charges of professional misconduct.

That investigation is still under way.

If allegations that Morse short-changed the county are substantiated, state officials said the county will be informed, and the public is likely to hear of the outcome.

If Morse is found innocent, it could bolster a defamation lawsuit against the county.

"We intend to employ every legal remedy available to eradicate the false light in which Mr. Morse has been painted," Campbell said.

The other chief allegation against Morse is that he had a 5 percent stake in one of the companies that received airport land, and that he failed to disclose that fact.

But Campbell characterized the issue as a red herring.

"Now, having failed to come up with any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the county has chosen to resort to the slimy and shameless tactic of depicting Mr. Morse to have had a purported 'conflict of interest' in two isolated, unconnected and wholly irrelevant transactions," Campbell's statement said.

Carroll said he doesn't think the county has libeled Morse, and that the auditing department is simply doing its job.

"That's our obligation -- to look into these types of transactions, and if something looks out of the ordinary, then we have to challenge those things," he said.

But Campbell said the county has gone far beyond an objective inquiry, spreading rumors and innuendo that Morse was a "hidden partner" with developer Scott Gragson and therefore a criminal.

"The county has determined that it will sacrifice a good and decent man's previously unblemished reputation so that well-heeled bureaucrats might escape blame," he said.

J. Craig Anderson can be reached at 259-2320 or at craig@lasvegassun.com.