New commissioner Collins sworn in

Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 | 11:07 a.m.

Tom Collins became the newest Clark County commissioner this morning, and Commissioner Rory Reid became chairman of the group that oversees county government.

Las Vegas Justice Justice of the Peace James Bixler swore in Collins and four returning commissioners.

Collins was elected in November as commissioner for District B, which includes much of the north part of the Las Vegas Valley and rural communities such as Moapa, Glendale, Logandale, Overton and Mesquite. Collins replaces Mary Kincaid-Chauncey on the board.

Collins was accompanied by friends and family for the swearing-in. Among those who came with Collins were wife, Kathy, uncle and former Las Vegas City Council member Dan Gray, grandson Johnny Wells, son Tom Collins Jr., daughter Jennifer Wells and other family and friends.

Collins removed his 40-X black Stetson cowboy hat to take the oath of office. He left on a pair of new yellow ostrich-skin cowboy boots he wore to the short ceremony.

Collins, owner of Collins Power Services, a power line installation company, was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1992 and served five terms.

"I've got a lot of friends out there," Collins, a Democrat, said of the audience.

Four others who won election to office in November were Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates, a Democrat, who first took office in 1993; Chip Maxfield, a Republican, who took office in 2001; Bruce Woodbury, a Republican, who took office in 1981 and is the longest-serving county commissioner; and Lynette Boggs McDonald, a Republican, who was elected in November after Gov. Kenny Guinn appointed her to the commission in April to fill out the term of resigning Commissioner Mark James.

Also taking a new seat on the board was Commissioner Rory Reid, representative for District G, which covers parts of the eastern and southern Las Vegas Valley. Reid was designated commission chairman by his six colleagues.

The chairman occupies the center seat on the dais of the board and acts as chief parliamentary officer during commission meetings. The chairman has one equal vote with other commissioners but can decide who will speak during meetings and for how long.

The board designated Commissioner Myrna Williams to continue serving as vice chairwoman. Both terms last two years.

Reid said the challenges that have confronted the county since he took office in 2003 will continue.

"We've done a lot to improve our master planning process and tackle the challenges of growth, from water and air quality to transportation and land-use planning," Reid said. "I'm confident that we can build upon our success in the coming years."

County commissioners are elected for staggered four-year terms and set policy for an organization that employs more than 10,000 people in 38 departments and has a total budget of $4.4 billion.