School board members broke law but won’t be punished

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Commission on Ethics unanimously reached a settlement Wednesday with four Clark County School Board members and two former School Board members, agreeing that each board member broke state law by spending taxpayer resources on campaigning. But they will receive no punishment.

“I think it’s in the best interest of everybody to bring the matter to a full and ultimate conclusion,” said commission Chairman Paul Lamboley, alluding to the long run these investigations have taken, starting with the first complaint in February 2013 against School Board member Carolyn Edwards, which also ended in a settlement in November for breaking the law and no punishment.

Chris Garvey, Linda Young, Deanna Wright, Erin Cranor, Lorraine Alderman and Rene Cantu reached similar settlements Wednesday and, together with Edwards, constituted the entire School Board in 2012. That year, the board decided to put forth a ballot question seeking a property tax increase. The initiative failed but would have increased property taxes by 21 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, generating an estimated $669 million over six years for school improvements and construction.

Each board member directed their district-provided secretary to send a mass email seeking volunteers to drum up support for the question, and therein lies the problem, asserted Clark County resident Joe Spencer, who filed complaints against the four board members still in office — Garvey, Young, Wright and Cranor — after the commission ended its investigation of Edwards.

There is no law against board members sending emails campaigning for Question 2, as it was called on the ballot, according to the commission. But state law prohibits public employees from “requesting” or causing a governmental entity “to incur expense or make expenditure to support or oppose a ballot question.”

Although the investigations are at an end, it’s not the right end in the eyes of Spencer, who contends the emails suggest the district coordinated a campaign.

Board members told volunteers to call the district’s Community and Government Relations office and sent volunteers to a Web address within the district’s website where they could sign up. The expense of time and resources was not “nominal” as noted in the settlement, Spencer said.

“Your own mission statement claims that the Ethics Commission ‘strives to enhance the public’s faith and confidence in government,’ ” Spencer said on Wednesday, pushing for a full investigation. “By once again sweeping this under the carpet you are in no way enhancing the public’s faith and confidence.”

The commission began a full investigation into Edwards’ actions and was set to hold a hearing in November, including subpoenaed witnesses and documents. But Edwards offered to settle, acknowledging that she broke the law. The commission called off its investigation and accepted the settlement without punishment for Edwards because the district’s head attorney, Carlos McDade, approved her email.

The six other board members made no attempt to seek a hearing, immediately offering settlements. They received similar settlement terms Wednesday and no punishment because they were found to have unwillfully broken the law in an isolated instance after seeking legal advice.

“There are many issues at hand here that the public deserves for you to look into, completely,” Spencer contended Wednesday.

Contact reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.