Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 | 11:02 a.m.
Acting city attorney Christine Guerci-Nyhus smiles as council members struggle with pronouncing her last name during a special meeting of the Henderson City Council Monday, August 8, 2011. The council named Guerci-Nyhus as interim city attorney.
Josh Reid
Sun Coverage
Henderson has narrowed the candidates for city attorney to current interim city attorney Christine Guerci-Nyhus and Josh M. Reid.
City spokesman Bud Cranor named the finalists after six candidates were notified that they had not made it.
The city council met in closed session Nov. 2 and 3 to interview individuals for the position.
“We had a very healthy discussion,” said Mayor Andy Hafen. “The sense I’m getting is that I’m not ready to make a decision yet. There are a couple of candidates that I feel need to have a little bit further vetting.”
Reid, who is Sen. Harry Reid’s son, is a shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s natural resources department. According to his biography, his practice focuses on on environmental, energy, land use, and regulatory matters.
Before stepping in as the interim city attorney in August 2011, Guerci-Nyhus started as an assistant city attorney in 2010. Prior to that she served as chief deputy attorney general for the Public Affairs Bureau.
The position became vacant after former city attorney Elizabeth Quillin resigned in early August after a May DUI arrest. Quillin, who served as Henderson city attorney for two years, received a $99,500 severance package. The package included accrued vacation time and 10 months of insurance coverage, worth about $3,800.
At the open session of the special meeting Thursday night councilwoman Debra March said she wanted to make sure the council found the best fit.
“I think that we’re making a very important decision that impacts the city and we certainly had challenges in the past,” said councilwoman Debra March. “I think it’s very important that we have comfort and confidence in the person that we select.”
About 45 candidates originally applied for the position, which pays a $190,000 annual salary without benefits.
The short list of candidates included former Las Vegas municipal judge George Assad, Marc Cardinalli, Richard Hinckley, Keith Kizer and Paul “Luke” Puschnig.
Cranor said the council will make a final decision in the coming weeks.
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