Hoeffgen edges Chaney for new post

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 | 9:48 a.m.

An attorney edged a child care center owner Tuesday in a race for a newly created Municipal Court in North Las Vegas.

Sean Hoeffgen, 36, who finished second in the April primary, defeated Willia Chaney, 62, executive director of Smart Start Child Care Center in Tuesday's general election.

Hoeffgen, an attorney who spends half of his time representing defendants in Municipal Court, captured 4,078 votes, or 52 percent of the total. Chaney earned 3,774 votes, or 48 percent.

The term is for four years for the job that pays $128,000 a year.

In the April primary, Chaney outpolled Hoeffgen by a 40 to 20 percent margin.

The general election may have boiled down to a debate over whether a judge should be an attorney. That is the requirement for Municipal Court judges in Las Vegas and Henderson but not in North Las Vegas.

"I do believe that is what it came down to," Hoeffgen said. "My opponent and her family have been part of the community for many years. She had a tremendous amount of name recognition and ties to the area, but I think when it came down to it, the voters felt it was important to put someone on the bench who has the training and legal background for the job," Hoeffgen said.

Chaney had said having a law degree wasn't necessary and that someone with common sense and a sense of fairness was more important for the job.

North Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge Warren Van Landschoot, a former police officer, is not an attorney.

Chaney said the lawyer issue had no bearing on the race. She accused Hoeffgen of negative campaigning in the mailers he sent out to voters, in part detailing problems with a 1999 federal audit over her summer feeding program for kids.

The audit found Chaney's program disregarded rules and regulations and may have inflated its claims for how many meals it served. The state Education Department is seeking $515,828 from Chaney, who denied any wrongdoing and claims the state still owes her more $500,000.

During the campaign, Hoeffgen stressed experience and legal training to handle a busy caseload and avoid inconsistent rulings that lead to appeals.

Municipal Court judges preside over misdemeanor trials dealing with such offenses as domestic battery, DUI and minor drug offenses.

Hoeffgen raised nearly $51,000 since the primary to bring his campaign total to $82,800. Chaney raised more than $32,000 to bring her total in excess of $93,000.