REVIEW-JOURNAL

meeting.

“There’s still an ongoing concern about how the money is collected and where the money is going,” Giunchigliani said.

North Las Vegas Constable

CONSTABLE

Robert Eliason is suing the county after commissioners tried to force him out of office. After 18 months state law requires constables to pass the Peace Officer Training and Standards certification. But Eliason held the position for four years and was not able to pass the tests.

Giunchigliani said the Review-journal story, which examined Mitchell’s spending over the past two years, sparked her decision to seek a discussion about eliminating the remaining urban constables offices.

“In Henderson, it’s mostly the story you did that brought to light questions about the funds and what is done with that money,” she said.

Questionable spending

Mitchell dropped out of his re-election bid on March 21, hours before the Review-journal posted a story showing he wrote himself $70,000 in checks from county funds deposited into his Henderson constable account. Mitchell also took out $1,700 from ATMS in casinos and video poker bars and used county money for trips to towns where his children live.

The Nevada attorney general’s office has indicated that it will start a criminal investigation of Mitchell if the Clark County district attorney does not pursue the case, records show.

Joe Pitts, a Democrat running for Henderson constable, approved of eliminating the office.

“The county pays a lot of the freight, the lease for office and staff, so they might as well take it over and give it over to Metro,” Pitts said. “It puts me out of work, but that’s OK if the people get a better product.”

Kenny Taylor, the Republican candidate for Henderson constable, said eliminating the office would increase costs by having deputies with pension and other benefits do the work now done by independent contractors.

“I don’t think it’s right to abolish the office for a few bad apples,” he said. “A lot of this could be prevented if the county had better oversight.” I don’t think it’s right to abolish the office for a few bad apples. A lot of this could be prevented if the county had better oversight.