Recorder should be appointed, not elected

Thursday, April 13, 2006 | 7:11 a.m.

Fran Deane's fitness for office has been under question since shortly after she took office as Clark County recorder in January 2003. The Las Vegas Sun, a sister publication of In Business Las Vegas, reported in August 2003 that Deane tried to establish herself as a partner in a private company selling documents from the county recorder's office that are supposed to be available to the public for free. There were also Sun stories at the time that said she favored title companies over the general public when it came to processing their transactions. The Nevada Ethics Commission fined her $5,000 for six ethics violations, but she was able to keep her job.

Deane barely weathered that controversy, which resulted in calls for her resignation, but her troubles aren't going away - and they could get much worse. This month Metro Police detectives, using search warrants, seized documents at her office and apartment. KLAS Channel 8 has reported that Deane is suspected of taking documents from the recorder's office and selling them to businesses. The reason why such an allegation is so serious is that some of the documents filed with the recorder's office involve real property transactions, and knowing about such transactions prior to their public filing would give a business a significant advantage over a rival.

Deane has not yet been charged with any crimes related to this investigation, but her tumultuous tenure so far calls out for a serious overhaul of how we select the county recorder. Most people who vote don't know that much about the post, and they know even less about the candidates themselves when they try to make an informed decision.

This really is an administrative position that should report to the Clark County manager. In that way, the county manager could select from a wide range of candidates and pick an individual who is best qualified. As it stands now, many voters simply flip a coin at election time.

And, as is the case with Deane, if voters make the wrong decision and elect someone who is simply not ready for such an important job, then they are stuck with her for the next four years until the next election. If, however, the county recorder reported to the county manager and there was a question about the recorder's competence, then the county manager could simply fire the recorder and replace her with someone else.

While this is a government agency that the public might not know much about, it nevertheless is an important one. All Southern Nevadans deserve to have a competent, skilled individual running the recorder's office. The Nevada Legislature should pass a law making the recorder's job an appointed, not an elected, office.