Health District files second complaint against county over funding

Southern Nevada health district filed a second complaint in court Friday against Clark County and Clark County Commission, charging the Commissioners failed to provide US $ 15.9 million in necessary funding for the coming year.

An appeal for "release by mandamus" was submitted to the county of Clark County District Court covering the budget dispute. The petition asks the Court to require the County to fund 15.9 million dollars.

A day earlier, sued the district health County, charging Commissioners fails to cooperate with plans for the development of a new health district headquarters offices.

Friday's court petition proposing the County is hypocrisy to complain about State take the County's money and then turn and take the district health money.

"In 2005 when the district health Southern Nevada became a regional health districts serving several municipalities and Governments in Southern Nevada, Nevada legislature mandated direct financing to the Southern Nevada health district from Clark County Health District in Southern Nevada to provide essential services that benefit the public," said Friday's court petition.

"But for the Southern Nevada health district's 2011-2012 budget, Clark County arbitrarily reduced Southern Nevada health district's direct financing from the prescribed amount of $ 23.80 $ 5.692 million, which represents lack 15.867 million dollars.

"Southern Nevada health district is asking this Court to force Clark County to finance district health Southern Nevada completely and to limit the Clark County from further manipulation with the Southern Nevada health district's direct financing," says the petition.

County budget shows that all revenue sources, health district budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 will be 74.1 million dollars, up from 73 million dollars this year.

Is about the district health should obtain all property taxes attributed to it, 3.5 cents per $ 100 of assessed valuation countywide, instituting proposes.

The County's decision to withhold 15.9 million dollars breaching "law and order in Nevada are prohibited to Governments, such as Clark County, arbitrarily with the financing of other units," says the document instituting the proceedings.

Erik's father, a county spokesman, said county officials could not immediately comment on the dispute because they had not had the opportunity to fully review whether Thursday's lawsuit or Friday's petition.

Memory remapping feature trick: to keep the county commissioners in their districts

By Joe Schoenmann (contact) Saturday 4 June 2011 | 2 a.m. Steve Sisolak

Fred Kessler know federal voting laws so well, he is recruited 11 times Nevada officials redrawing electoral district lines. He has done it twice for North Las Vegas. six times for Las Vegas. twice for the legislature and one for Clark County.

Nationwide, Kessler has employed 27 times to do redistricting. None of his maps has been challenged in court.

This is a remarkable record. But it was not quite good enough for Clark County officials, which would take account of hiring him to help with redistricting this year.

The Reason? Kessler could not guarantee that when he was finished, each county Commissioner would still have a job. Redistricting can draw elected officials of their districts.

"I could tell one of the Commissioners was not very happy ... the commitment shown by his district would be saved cannot be made," said Kessler, a lawyer, Wisconsin Assemblyman forming part of the North of Milwaukee.

Commissioner Steve Sisolak admits he was not satisfied Kessler could not guarantee that when all was said and done, Sisolak would not stop living in a different Commission districts.

"I said," I have a claim: that all stay as Commissioner. No one loses their districts, "" Sisolak said. "I think it is reasonable that each Commissioner deserves to remain in his place. How to drag any of his district? A consultant should not take any absent, voters should. "

Instead of the County Commission voted Kessler seven Democrats, two weeks ago to work on Main Street Communications, a Washington political consulting firm. County spokesman said Chairman David Main Street Also declined to comment to the Sun.

Heller's job will be complicated. It will cover the Draw new lines to redistribute 190,000 people in four Commission districts into three districts, so that each end in approximately 279,000 people.

Then there are policy redrawing the District lines. Voting Rights Act, preference in order to ensure minority populations not unduly divided by District lines. But basically, redistricting is "a redistribution of power," Kessler said. So all the elected official is monitoring closely and want their district, but it is drawn, in order to give them an advantage.

To keep an eye on the political part, Nor will be armed with a map that shows the Republican (red) and democratic (blue) direction of each voting district in Clark County.

But Kessler said the real difficulty with the County's current redistricting are Commissioners in their districts. Four of the seven live near the district boundaries. They are Larry Brown, Sisolak, Mary Beth Scow and, to a lesser extent, Susan Brager.

Pr?ms district must have 50,000 voters, so her district will grow, and she'll be safe by getting more area around his home. But Sisolaks district may lose former selector. Brown loses 42000 and Brager loses 51,000. Some of the area could include their homes.

(Tom Collins loses 23,000, but he lives not near a border. Chris Giunchigliani will have 70,000 and Lawrence weekly will win 79,000.)

The question becomes: did Commissioners is dragged out of their districts because another districts, voters, swallows his or her home?

The district is unrealistic — a few starts in a section of a map and connect with the thinnest of lines to another large part – are vulnerable to court challenges. A consultant might consider, for example to keep Sisolaks homes in the district A, then lose most of the area around his home, but still retain a thin line home connects to a larger block of voters in the southern part of the County.

Sisolak "was worried," said Kessler. "I think I was sufficiently politically, but what was intended was probably next to impossible to achieve."

Only a few years ago as the County's population increased rapidly, the Commission had considered that the redistricting prior to the census in 2010. Commissioners eventually decided against it, but they still a rule that prohibits a consultant from using any of his district.

Some of his concerns Sisolak said, this time was that the rules of the game has not been discussed or approved.

He is happy now, but as he got the guarantees that he wanted from either. "He said," of course everyone should live in their districts, "said Sisolak.

Heller's website boasts that his company is "political media firm with the best record in the Democratic Party." On redistricting, it says "we can build or analyze redistricting plans that best after political needs."

The new lines must be drawn and approved by 18 nov.