Emails show ousted Las Vegas planning commissioner initially resisted call to resign

Former Las Vegas Planning Commissioner Stephen Munford was hesitant to resign after being asked to by Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong in December, according to an email exchange.

The city released the communications Wednesday in response to a public records request.

In the exchange, Munford asked Summers-Armstrong to explain why she wanted him to step down.

“I am not prepared to submit my resignation at this time,” Munford wrote to the Ward 5 councilwoman on Dec. 15. “I remain open to further discussion or any formal process the City Council deems appropriate.”

Added Munford: “My goal is not conflict, but fairness, transparency, and adherence to the principles of public service.”

He was responding to an email from Summers-Armstrong hours earlier. She had thanked him for his one-year service and asked him to submit a resignation by the end of the day.

She did not lay out her reason in writing.

The correspondence followed a phone call earlier that day, according to records.

After Munford didn’t immediately step down, Las Vegas scheduled to hold a Jan. 7 vote to remove him during a City Council meeting.

He submitted a resignation letter the day before, asking to remove the item. The vote was canceled.

Summers-Armstrong said in a statement after his resignation that she appreciated Munford’s work in the seven-member commission that allows an appointment by each councilmember.

The board evaluates zoning and other land-use entitlements and forwards its recommendations to the City Council, which has the final say on whether a development proposal can move forward.

“Looking ahead, I am seeking a commissioner who is aligned with the city’s long-range planning and land use goals, and with Ward 5’s commitment to smart development strategies that enhance quality of life and expand economic opportunity,” Summers-Armstrong said in a statement.

Munford said last week that he respected the councilwoman’s decision.

“It had nothing to do with any legalities or improprieties,” Munford said in a phone interview. “Mainly, her and I might have had a different mindset on what she wanted from her planning commissioner.”

Munford and Summers-Armstrong declined to comment further Thursday.

‘Not a team player’

Munford’s email response to Summers-Armstrong alleged that she had suggested her reasoning was related to his relationship with billionaire Las Vegas businessman Don Ahern.

“During our conversation, you stated that you felt I was ’not a team player,’” Munford added later in the email. “For clarity and the record, Mr. Ahern and I were business partners more than a decade ago, around 2012. Since that time, we have had no ongoing business relationship, and I have not been employed by him, represented him, or held any financial interest in his projects.”

Added Munford: “Our relationship has been limited to a personal acquaintance.”

He said that Ahern early last year had inquired with Munford about possibly working on a development project in Ward 5.

“I disclosed this conversation to you shortly thereafter. I did not enter into any agreement with Mr. Ahern, did not sign a non-disclosure agreement, and did not commit to working on his project,” he said.

Abstaining from votes

Months later, Munford said, he met with an Ahern representative and discussed items the company intended to present before the commission.

He said he disclosed the meeting and his past business relationship with Ahern and the representative to the city attorney’s office before participating in any official discussion or vote.

“I was advised that I did not need to abstain from voting on those items, and I relied in good faith on that legal guidance,” Munford wrote.

He said that he abstained from subsequent items after Summers-Armstrong asked him to.

“At all times, I have sought to be transparent, to disclose relevant information when appropriate, and to err on the side of ethical caution,” Munford wrote. “I have never attempted to use my position to benefit Mr. Ahern or any private interest.”

Ahern described Munford’s family, including his late father — the late Nevada legislator Harvey Munford — as lifelong friends.

“The Munford family has been a solid, positive influence in our Nevada history and I watched Stephen grow up, and first met him when he was a toddler,” he said Thursday. “I just love the Munford family.”

Ahern said he and Stephen Munford had spoken about real estate throughout the years, but he reiterated that Munford did no wrong as a commissioner, adding that he’d abstained from voting on items proposed by Ahern’s company.

City Hall records show that Munford abstained from voting for a trio of rezoning proposals on parcels owned by Ahern in a neighborhood near Bonanza Road and Washington Avenue.

Minutes from the Oct. 14 planning commission meeting stated that Munford had declined to vote due to his history with the magnate.

The council approved rezoning on the parcels the following month, but delayed a vote on a fourth item in the neighborhood.

“It’s about as stupid a thing as I’ve ever heard,” Ahern said about the possibility his relationship influenced Munford’s ouster. “I think it’s just terrible.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.