LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Amid legal action, apparent character attacks, and a police chief’s absence, Henderson City Hall broke into disorder again, but both sides are calling for the fighting to end.
The reintroduced item, not on the agenda, involved unanswered questions regarding the administrative leave for Henderson Police Chief Hollie Chadwick. The issue caused infighting between Councilwoman Carrie Cox and other members of the council, including Mayor Michelle Romero during an evening public meeting.
“It would be easy to sit here and say nothing, but I’ve had a lot of questions in the last two weeks,” Cox said. “Many people, many have called me, emailed me to express their feelings about current situations at the city.”
Cox said she understood disagreements between her and her colleagues might happen, and said her call for transparency was not intended to be at odds with the council but backed by the city’s “exceptional governance policy and protocol manual.”
“It’s laid out in our [manual] that we are independent, impartial, and responsible to the public,” she said. “The public interest must be our primary concern, and we shall be loyal to the objectives expressed by the public.”
In response, Councilwoman Monica Larson responded to Cox’s comments and described her stance as hypocritical.
“When the individual spoke about the governance policy. The charter is not ‘Do as I say, not as I do,’” Larson said. “There has to be accountability and not grandstanding and making excuses and denying conduct has warranted certain resistance, if you’ll call it that.”
Larson acknowledged the council was not agreeing on the best way to handle the public-facing response to Chadwick’s administrative leave, but said disagreements were not the problem.
“It’s not a matter of disagreeing, it’s about decorum and conducting yourself,” she said. “Of course, you’re going to disagree on certain things, but what you see is not what is.”
“Have some decorum”
Seconds after Larson’s statements, Cox started to respond to some of the comments regarding a recently changed endorsement from Henderson’s police union, but Mayor Romero attempted to move on to schedule the next meeting.
“Since you brought up endorsements,” Cox said.
“I will set the next redevelopment meeting,” Romero said.
“Thank you, Carrie,” Larson said in response. “You’ve had your turn.”
The audience appeared to boo the disorderly moment from the city council, before Romero struck her gavel.
“I am going to call a recess until we can have some decorum,” Romero said.
“I’d like to make a-” Cox said.
“No,” Romero responded. “Five minutes. Have some decorum.”
The council members left the chamber while residents sat and spoke amongst themselves, some expressing displeasure at the abrupt adjournment.
Cox and Larson appeared to continue to argue for a minute after the recess was called. The council reconvened after the five-minute recess.
When will we know?
After the meeting 8 News Now spoke with Romero and Larson after the meeting about the moment which played out in front of residents and for the public record.
“I think sometimes when emotions are running high and things are being said, you need to take a minute just to recompose yourself, get gather your thoughts,” Romero said. “And then start the meeting back up so it can stay on focus and that’s exactly what happened.”
Larson said the meeting went great, as far as for her being able to share what she intended to share.
“Councilwoman Cox, again, went out of turn,” Larson said. “And she continues to try and spin a different narrative instead of the truth.”
Romero was asked if the public will learn more about the reason Chief Chadwick was placed on administrative leave on the Thursday deadline.
“We are working very hard every day to make as transparent as possible what’s happening in local government,” Romero said. “There are things that we can’t make public, and that’s personnel matters, and that’s exactly what this is. As soon as the city manager has a decision and is able to go forward with one and what’s going to happen next, she will make that available to the public, and she will keep them informed.”
Henderson City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause, who made the decision to place Chadwick on administrative leave is expected to provide some information for public access regarding her decision on Mar. 6.
Call for transparency
Cox told 8 News Now after the meeting she would have liked to continue her response to Larson and defended her stance as backed by public support.
“I’m sure that with the comments that Councilwoman Larson was making, that it was uncomfortable and that we needed to have a recess,” she said. “I work really hard for residents to have their voice, and I just think that that is what we need to do in a council meeting, is so that everybody can say what they need to say, but we do need to keep it respectful.”
As for the information regarding Chadwick’s administrative leave, Cox cited state law which bars her from discussing more about a personnel matter handled by city administrators. She reiterated her call for transparency and expressed caution.
“I think that it’s really important for us to remember that don’t believe everything you hear, and this is a case of where there’s just a lot of questions,” Cox said. “And at this point again, we have to say something… I do think there needed to be a statement made, to be able to bring some comfort and understanding to our residents.”
Cox said it is important the council works together and serves an impartial responsibility to the public.
“It’s important that we have our own opinions and that we’re able to share those, and we’re able to respectfully have conversations and that to explore what each other thinks and believes,” she said. “Because that’s how we’ll have the best Henderson.”
