Embattled Clark County commissioner quits as vice chair
Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones stepped down Wednesday as vice chair of the governing board, citing ongoing litigation he’s embroiled in with the developer of a Blue Diamond Hill housing project.
He will retain his seat on the seven-member commission, however.
“By stepping down as Vice Chair, I am hopeful that the ongoing and contested legal disputes in the Gypsum Resources litigation will not distract further from the important work of Clark County and the Board,” Jones wrote in a statement. “I remain focused on my work as a Clark County Commissioner and the constituents I have been elected to serve.”
The resignation comes after U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah sanctioned the commissioner for deleting texts relating to the development. The punishment — attorney’s fees for the time it took Gypsum lawyers to bring the motion for sanctions against Jones — led the Nevada State Bar to open an investigation into the commissioner, who’s also an attorney.
Jones is appealing Youchah’s order.
Clark County said it will appoint another one of the commissioners as vice chair at the next meeting.
Jones’ resignation from the vice chair position comes the day after commission Chairman Jim Gibson called for greater transparency from Clark County, out of fears that the organization’s reputation has been damaged by negative publicity.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter.