The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners accepted the resignation of the elected public administrator and directed staff to begin the process of abolishing the elected office and creating an alternative approach for administering decedents’ estates.

At the beginning of the item the board formally accepted the resignation of the county’s elected public administrator, a change the board memorialized by passing Resolution 2025‑R‑3. That vote passed 4–0 with one abstention: Commissioner Tolbert recorded the abstention on the resolution accepting the resignation.

Following discussion across the dais and with county staff and the district attorney’s office, the board voted to direct staff to draft an ordinance that would abolish the elected public‑administrator office and allow the Board of County Commissioners to either employ or contract for the services of a person to carry out the functions that the public administrator had performed. The motion directs staff to return an ordinance for the board’s consideration; the motion passed unanimously.

At the same meeting the board designated Brooke Adey, the county’s Community Services Director, as a suitable person to perform the duties of a special administrator under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 140 on a temporary basis until a long‑term approach is in place. The board also authorized the county to pay for expenses incurred in performance of the special‑administrator duties when those costs cannot be paid from a decedent’s assets. That motion passed unanimously.

County Manager Jennifer Davidson and Assistant County Manager Wendy Lang briefed the commission on operational reviews addressing the office’s staffing, software and internal controls. Davidson told the board an outside operational review had found the elected office lacked sufficient resources and recommended additional software and staff support; she said county staff and the district attorney’s office would work as a team to triage outstanding cases and to build a sustainable approach.

Cynthia Gregory of the District Attorney’s Office clarified statutory pathways: a special administrator (NRS chapter 140) can serve as an interim mechanism in pending matters while the board completes the ordinance process to abolish the elected post (NRS 253.125 and related statutes). The board asked staff to prioritize case triage, to seek outside assistance as needed, and to return with an ordinance and recommended long‑term structure for administering estates.

Votes on related actions recorded in the meeting:
• Resolution accepting resignation: moved by Commissioner Tarkanian, second by Commissioner Rice; vote 4 ayes, 1 abstention (Tolbert).
• Motion to ask staff to draft an ordinance abolishing the elected position (NRS 253.125): moved by Commissioner Gardner, second by Commissioner Tolbert; vote unanimous.
• Motion to designate the Community Services Director as temporary special administrator and to authorize county payment of expenses not payable from estates: moved by Commissioner Gardner, second by Commissioner Tarkanian; vote unanimous.

The county will bring back a draft ordinance, implementation options and a proposed contracting/employment framework for the board’s consideration.