Henderson candidates start with baggage

There's a dearth of Democratic congressional candidates in the 3rd District.

And because of that, Democratic leaders are reportedly considering potential 2016 candidates from the Henderson City Council. Perhaps a council member, or even Mayor Andy Hafen, could make a bid?

But is that really the best way to go?

I live in Henderson, and I love the city. But let's consider a few things Republicans might use to criticize a candidate whose resume includes city service.

Former City Manager Mary Kay Peck was fired by the City Council in 2009, but sued and ended up winning $1.3 million from taxpayers. But ex-City Attorney Elizabeth Quillen was allowed to resign in 2011 after she was arrested and charged with drunken driving on city time. She got a $100,000 check.

Hafen recommended hiring his longtime friend Jacob Snow as city manager in 2012. Snow stayed at the city just long enough to complete 30 years of local government service, and thus ensure a sizable pension.

While Snow was at the city, he proposed raises for well-paid middle managers. Snow told the Review-Journal he did it to keep those managers from forming a union. Meanwhile, the city implemented cuts that axed a Saturday lunch program at the Heritage Park Senior Facility.

Under the current City Council, Henderson has become a jobs program for people related to council members. In 2013, Councilwoman Gerri Schroder's husband, Glenn, got a job that wasn't advertised to the public. He quietly quit that job after about nine months.

The Review-Journal's dogged Eric Hartley has documented that fully six of Hafen's relatives work at City Hall, including his son. The mayor said that's OK because he wasn't involved in any of the hiring decisions. (He does, however, hire the city manager, who is ultimately responsible for hiring decisions.)

The most infamous city hiring decision was that of City Attorney Josh Reid, son of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, in 2011. The elder Reid called Hafen to lobby personally on Josh Reid's behalf, and the city changed its hiring criteria in order for the younger Reid to qualify. (A recent bid by Josh Reid for a longer contract and substantial raise was rejected, notwithstanding a presentation in which he compared himself to Chris Farley's character in the movie "Black Sheep.")

That vote was somewhat unusual, inasmuch as it engendered a bit of public debate. As Hartley showed back in May, 99.4 percent of Henderson decisions are made without any dissenting votes, suggesting members may be deliberating on matters outside public view.

Hartley's coverage has annoyed city officials, to the point that an official city policy briefly threatened city employees with discipline up to termination if they spoke to reporters without the authorization of communications staff. That policy was quickly suspended after Hartley wrote about it in the R-J.

In 2013, city employee Rick Workman decided to run for mayor, but suspended his campaign briefly after he said he was told he'd have to give up his government job. The city later said it was a "misunderstanding," and that Workman was told he would only have had to quit if he won. Hafen won going away in the primary.

And who can forget Chris Milam? The developer promised to build a stadium with the equivalent of magic beans, but was accused of fraud by city officials. Milam was banished, and his lenders ended up with the land.

So, sure, Democrats could tap Hafen or one of his fellows to run for Congress. But don't be surprised if the question that confronts Republicans is which of the myriad Henderson leadership failures should go into the mail first.

Steve Sebelius is a Las Vegas Review-Journal political columnist. Follow him on Twitter (@SteveSebelius) or reach him at 702-387-5276 or SSebelius@reviewjournal.com.