Councilman’s labor post a concern for some on ethics panel

Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

Although Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross insists he can serve in his new role as a local labor leader without conflicts of interest, state ethics commissioners who met with him behind closed doors in May warned him that he would be walking an ethical tightrope.

Appearing Tuesday on "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Las Vegas ONE (Cox cable channel 19), Ross said he received a "favorable" response when he asked the Nevada Ethics Commission to issue an opinion on whether his new role as secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council would conflict with his council duties.

Since joining the City Council in 2005, Ross said, he could not recall a single instance where the council discussed any business related to the trades council, which represents 16 unions.

"I take my job as city councilman for Ward 6 very seriously," Ross said. "I'm not going to allow that to be jeopardized."

But Ralston, armed with a transcript of the commission's May 9 closed session, confronted Ross with comments by individual commissioners who expressed concern over various possible conflicts. Commissioners told Ross, who had not yet won the union position at the time of the hearing, that they had concerns involving competitive bids and other issues where Ross as a city councilman might be prone to side with union contractors over nonunion competitors.

The most pointed of these concerns came from Commissioner Tim Cashman, who "very strongly" advised Ross against taking the building trades job.

"I'll guarantee you, you will be back here in front of us, whether you like it or not," Cashman said.

Cashman also said that there would be myriad "ways which conflict can be alleged in this position, and I'm just not sure that in the end ... you are going to be able to survive it."

In response, Ross told Ralston: "I understand the path that Mr. Cashman is referring to. However, I believe that I can head down this road and do it the right way, supporting organized labor and their efforts at the same time representing my constituents in Ward 6 and the city of Las Vegas."

Cashman joined the commission majority in its 4-1 vote that Ross's employment with the building trades council while also serving on the City Council "would not alone create an impermissible conflict of interest, but conflicts of interest may arise" in myriad ways.

Despite individual commissioners' concerns, the panel's formal advisory opinion, which has yet to be issued, will reflect only the approved motion.

Commission Chairman Jim Kosinski pointed out to Ross that the advice he received from individual commissioners would not be part of the advisory opinion.

"But certainly it should put you on warning that if you come before us again on one of these issues, you've got a rough row to hoe," Kosinski said.