EDITORIAL: Sheriff Joe Lombardo should update taxpayers on LVCVA investigation.
Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, is preparing to sail a yacht off into the sunset at the end of this month. That would be a good time for Sheriff Joe Lombardo to update taxpayers on the progress of his department’s investigation into the authority’s financial practices.
To the outrage of many Southern Nevadans, the LVCVA board approved a $455,000 exit package for Mr. Ralenkotter, who is retiring at the end of August. That’s on top of his liftetime annual pension of at least $350,000. This occurred despite reports that the authority under Mr. Ralenkotter’s watch had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on first-class travel, perks and expensive gifts for employees. In addition, Mr. Ralenkotter admitted to using $16,000 in Southwest Airlines gift cards for personal use. Metro announced in July it was looking into the matter.
The board’s incomprehensible action regarding Mr. Ralenkotter’s retirement package represented a brash one-finger salute to taxpayers and highlighted the extent to which cronyism and entitlement continue to pervade Southern Nevada’s political culture. Unfortunately, the sheriff was right in the middle of it.
A week prior to the board’s decision, Metro took the bizarre step of providing the panel a letter saying detectives didn’t have enough evidence to charge Mr. Ralenkotter in the airline gift card probe “at this time.” That was all the cover LVCVA board members needed. Would it be cynical to conclude that the sheriff and Metro were more intent on wrapping a bow on Mr. Ralenkotter’s lavish parting gift than with conducting a proper investigation?
Sheriff Lombardo can clear up such perceptions. He should publicly explain the department’s decision to issue the letter in the first place and then inform taxpayers of the status of the LVCVA inquiry. Ultimately, the public deserves a full accounting. Anything less and taxpayers might soon notice the noxious stench of a whitewash.
