LOOKING IN ON: CLARK COUNTY

Monday, Jan. 15, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

By Tony Cook

Las Vegas Sun

The state cleared appraiser Timothy Morse of any wrongdoing related to the controversy over McCarran International Airport land deals, and the impact of that decision could be big.

With attorney Don Campbell (defender of Gov. Jim Gibbons in the Chrissy Mazzeo controversy) at his side Wednesday, Morse said he wanted Clark County to reinstate him as one of its recommended appraisers and to apologize for maligning his reputation when it filed a complaint with the Nevada Business and Industry Department's real estate division last year.

Campbell accused the county of using Morse as a scapegoat. He also accused the county of covering up its own mismanagement of the land deals, which allowed land broker Scott Gragson to quickly resell land obtained in deals with the airport for massive profits.

Campbell said he has not ruled out a lawsuit against the county.

Perhaps as concerning for county officials, however, is the political atmosphere created by dragging the land controversy into public view again.

The negative publicity could give legs to a state legislative proposal that would take the airport out of county hands and put it under a regional body.

County Commission Chairman Rory Reid stressed that the county relied on an independent firm it hired to review the land deals and on its internal auditor, Jerry Carroll, when the county asked the state real estate division to investigate Morse.

Reid also emphasized that the problems with the airport land deals can't occur again because of changes the county made after the controversy.

Usually, there is a cost to taxpayers when the winners of November's election join the Clark County Commission every other January: stationery.

In the world of politics, letterhead doesn't have a long shelf life. Often, outdated letterhead is dumped into the garbage.

But the county is changing the way it handles letterhead this year, cutting the cost of adding new commissioners Chris Giunchigliani and Susan Brager to county stationery.

In the past, the county has paid $51.28 per 500 sheets and used 700,000 sheets a year, a total cost of $71,792.

Now, however, the county is ordering letterhead without commissioners' names and department information on it. Instead, the county will use a template on individual computers to insert the relevant information every time a staffer prints a letter, dropping the cost of professional printed letterhead to $22 per 500 sheets.

Because letterhead won't be thrown away every time there is a new commissioner or a department head resigns, the county expects to use only 350,000 sheets this year.

In all, county officials expect the new plan to save $56,392 annually.

Commissioners are expected this week to extend for another year the county Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

The policy document limits property taxes and promises no deficit spending, among other things.

County officials say the policy has helped create financial stability for the county and has resulted in strong bond ratings from Wall Street.