By Tony Cook (contact)

Mon, Feb 4, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Turns out commissioners aren’t the only Clark County officials spending taxpayer money on special events.

Keen readers will recall the Sun’s recent stories about how commissioners and Las Vegas City Council members regularly host parties and sponsor other activities on the public dime. They say the spending is an important way to stay in touch with constituents and help the less fortunate.

But critics question whether the spending is necessary, especially given the recent downturn in tax revenue, and say many of the events appear to be more political than governmental. One councilman, for example, spent city money on beach balls sporting his name. Another tapped city coffers for Willy Wonka-themed candy bars bearing his name on the wrappers. Still another bought pencils and water bottles with his name on them.

So who else is spending on special events?

The county manager’s office has spent $24,575 to buy table space at 32 fundraisers, galas and other events since 2006.

The most expensive purchases:

• $3,750 for a table of 10 at the Nevada Public Education Foundation’s Education Hero event last September. Commissioner Bruce Woodbury was among those honored.

• $2,500 for a table for 10 at an American Lung Association of Nevada event last November.

• $2,000 for a table of 10 at a Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth event last April. The event included a “roasting” of Commissioner Chip Maxfield. County Manager Virginia Valentine serves on the organization’s board of directors.

• $2,000 for four people to attend a University of Nevada Health Sciences Center event in September 2006.

County spokesman Dan Kulin said information about which county officials went to the events was not immediately available, but attendees typically include the county manager, department heads, assistant county managers and commissioners.

Why does the county buy tables at these events?

Valentine said the county wants officials to be familiar with the concerns of the people they serve.

Another reason: If the county buys the tickets, employees won’t be beholden to special interests that offer tickets free of charge, she said.

To get tickets on the taxpayers’ dime, employees must get permission from Valentine.

But as the county budget tightens, Valentine said, such spending will be one of the first areas to consider scaling back.

“Any area of discretionary funding is an area we would look to cut,” she said.

So what happened with former University Medical Center CEO Lacy Thomas last week?

A county grand jury took a break from hearing the case last week. Instead, other cases were scheduled. Same with this week. The grand jury will return to the UMC case Feb. 12, making that the earliest that a decision on whether to indict Thomas might be reached. Thomas is accused of awarding hospital contracts to friends in Chicago in exchange for kickbacks.

Is there any brighter news in the county?

Well, the county is experimenting with solar power. Commissioners will accept a $148,320 check from Nevada Power as part of the utility’s Solar Generations Program, which offers rebates to help offset the cost of installing solar power systems.

The county installed a 30-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system at three dorm buildings at Spring Mountain Youth Camp.

The check from Nevada Power will offset about a third of the $400,000 it cost to install the system.

Is solar power worth the cost?

The system at the youth camp won’t generate enough electricity to feed back into the power grid. If it did, Nevada Power would offer the county credits on its energy bill. It will, however, generate about a quarter of the power the camp uses, according to Mike Green, an assistant director in the county’s real property management department.

That translates to about $4,800 a year in energy savings, minus an estimated $900 a year in operating and maintenance costs. At that rate, the $400,000 project will pay for itself in about 65 years, after taking into account the check from Nevada Power.

“Solar power doesn’t pay for itself yet,” Green said. “But it’s the right thing to do.”