Thom Reilly, who is leaving his job as county manager, talks about the qualities his successor will need to bring to the job. Photo by Gary Thompson.

Replacing a top administrator who voluntarily departed is new ground for Clark County commissioners. It's even a fresh experience for Bruce Woodbury, who has served on the board for a quarter-century.

But that is the situation commissioners find themselves in after County Manager Thom Reilly announced his plans to become the university system's next vice chancellor.

Unlike his two predecessors, Dale Askew and Pat Shalmy, who together led the county from 1985 to 2002, Reilly enjoyed the support of all seven members of the commission.

"Thom (Reilly) will be the first one in my memory who leaves with the complete support of the board and without any significant opposition in the community," said Woodbury, who was appointed to the commission in 1981 and first elected to the job in 1982.

Shalmy stepped down in 1997 because not all board members backed him. Askew left in 2002 after then commissioners Erin Kenny and Dario Herrera publicly lobbied for his resignation.

Several names of potential replacements have been tossed around the Clark County Government Center since Reilly's announcement.

Assistant County Manager Virginia Valentine, who managed the city of Las Vegas prior to working at the county, is the front-runner for the job, according to several sources. What is clear is commissioners do not have an appetite to launch a national search to replace Reilly.

"My sense is nobody wants to go through a national search if we can come up with a candidate locally, and I think that will probably happen," Woodbury said.

Governing the county is a complex task because it involves not only the county body, but also regional responsibilities such as transportation, water and growth.

"Southern Nevada is such a unique place it takes someone a long time to really get used to the way things are done," Woodbury said. "So often you see entities go out for a national search and it seems like a charade; they really have someone locally in mind.

Commissioners expect a new county manager will be in place by the time Reilly leaves in mid-August. Woodbury said he hopes the new leader is prepared for the challenge.

"It's one of the toughest jobs imaginable," Woodbury said. "So many different departments and so many different issues you have to deal with, let alone baby-sit the seven political prima-donnas you can have time to time."

Reilly's departure comes at a critical time for Clark County. Social service experts have scrambled in the last year to resolve overcrowding at Child Haven, the county-operated facility that houses abused and neglected children.

The county is also struggling with a growing methamphetamine problem, a water shortage and other growth-related challenges. In addition, management is facing contract negotiations with the Service Employees International Union, the Fire Department and supervisors with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Reilly was hired in 2001, when the county faced financial troubles at University Medical Center and delays and overrun costs at the Regional Justice Center.

"The magnitude of those issues in and by themselves consumed a considerable amount of staff. I had no idea what the problem was with RJC; I had no idea about UMC," Reilly said. Contentious contract negotiations between county management and its employees and police officers would later follow.

Reilly said his management team, which was completely revamped after he took office, is capable of ushering the county through the transition of a new leader.

His successor should know that contract negotiations are not for the thin-skinned. He endured harsh criticism from employees when he stood firm on the county's final offer.

"It's respecting the process but clearly looking at what are some of the long-term aspects," Reilly said. "It's easier to resolve issues to make peace, but unfortunately the fact is you pass the problem off to future generations."

An aspect of Reilly's leadership that opened himself up to criticism is his willingness to discuss publicly matters plaguing the county. His staff often threw their hands up in frustration because of Reilly's openness and willingness to talk to reporters.

"I think government should be more open," Reilly said. "Explain how things are done and allow citizens to be involved in government. I think they have to have access to it and the avenue is the media."

Commissioners and Reilly agree that he treated all board members equally and listened to each of their ideas.

"I think 90 percent of this job is how you communicate with employees, how you communicate with elected officials," Reilly said. "I've gotten into disagreements with every one of them, but it was nothing partisan or personal."

Reilly said he better defined the duties of staff members who handle administrative duties and the commission, a policy-setting entity. He said previous commissioners were too involved in the administrative process, sometimes meddling in who got hired to oversee functions.

Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates, who has served on the board since 1993, said the commission is far more effective when members are not split on their support for the top county administrator.

"Even if we disagreed sometimes, he would voice his opinion about it, I always thought that was helpful," Atkinson Gates said. "If he disagreed with us or thought we were headed in the wrong direction, he didn't stand by and say, 'OK, if that's what you want to do.' "

The commissioners are confident that the transition will be smooth and Reilly's successor will be open and able to communicate with the board.

"Thom's very knowledgeable and experienced in those areas so it would have been good to have him on board on a continuing basis," Woodbury said. "I think whoever takes over will be someone who steps in and can do the job as well."