Two commissioners told to avoid Strip golf vote

County Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Mary Kincaid have been advised by the chairwoman of the state ethics commission not to vote on a controversial Las Vegas Strip golf complex.

In letters to the two, Mary Boetsch, head of the Nevada Commission on Ethics, said friendships the two have with developers making the proposals create too large a conflict for the two to vote in an ethical manner.

"I don't have any problem with disclosing whether you are friends with someone, but I think you should still be able to vote on the issue," Woodbury said.

Kincaid was equally disturbed by the letters.

"I'm just completely disgusted that I won't be able to vote on this when it comes up," she said.

Last week, both commissioners said they would ask fellow commissioners to delay the vote, which is scheduled for Tuesday, until they knew whether they would be able to participate.

"I'm just going to tell the other commissioners to go ahead and vote on this," Kincaid said.

Kincaid said she is friends with people involved with all three proposals, but feels she could have been fair.

"I consider a friend to be someone I have special feelings for. That could be literally hundreds of people. ... Maybe I should redefine what I consider a friend to be. I thought since I knew people involved with all of the proposals it wouldn't be a problem."

Proposals have been made by the U.S. Grand Prix-Las Vegas headed by longtime political consultant and advertising executive Sig Rogich; the Walters Group, headed by golf course developer and sports gambler Billy Walters; and Club Corporation of America.

Woodbury said he has been friends with Rogich for about 40 years. He noted they are now able to get together socially only on rare occasions. But added Rogich recommended to Gov. Robert List that he be appointed to the commission in 1981 and acted as his campaign manager in 1982.

"I guess the letter confirmed my original instincts, that I can't vote on this matter -- although I would like to."

Kincaid said she went to high school with with attorney Mahlon Brown (of the Club Corporation project) and has sold flowers to him for years from her North Las Vegas flower shop. She said she has been friends with Rogich for 20 years and Walters for about four years.

"I'm glad I disclosed. I wouldn't have like it if I had voted on something and found out after the fact that I shouldn't have," she said."

At stake is 163 acres along the Strip for the golf course.

On Sept. 1, the commission, concerned by ethics commission rulings and concerned about neighboring property owners, tabled the issue. Woodbury and Kincaid abstained from the vote.

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