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Commissioners decline to appoint interim county manager after ethics concerns; acting manager to continue
Summary
After extensive public comment and two candidates’ presentations, Commissioners did not appoint an interim county manager Sept. 17. Brad Adams withdrew; Brett Wagner had public support but commissioners raised potential ethics conflicts and asked staff to prepare a formal recruitment plan and seek an ethics opinion. Acting manager Lorena Dellinger will continue in her role.
The board spent multiple hours on a contested item to appoint an interim county manager. Two internal candidates were considered: Brad Adams (IT director) and Brett Wagner (planning director). Brad Adams addressed the board, outlined his county experience and then announced he was withdrawing his name, citing family and ongoing IT projects. "I am withdrawing," he said in a brief on‑record statement.
Brett Wagner and numerous local business leaders and developers spoke in support of Wagner as someone who can "hit the ground running" and keep development projects moving. Several callers and local firms said Wagner’s institutional knowledge made him the practical choice for an interim role. But several commissioners publicly raised potential ethics concerns because of Wagner’s longstanding personal and professional relationships in the county and requested an opinion from the Nevada Commission on Ethics. The DA’s office advised that the county should obtain a formal opinion, and commissioners debated whether to appoint Wagner subject to an outside ethics opinion or to begin an external recruitment.
No motion passed to appoint an interim county manager; a procedural motion failed for lack of a second and the item died. Acting county manager Lorena Dellinger said she has no intention of applying and will continue her duties; commissioners asked staff to prepare a recruitment/methods matrix and to return with options for seeking candidates (including outside search firms) and an ethics review if needed.
Representative quote: Brad Adams, after presenting his qualifications, told the commission: "I am withdrawing." Wagner supporters said his experience will ease the transition; opponents asked for a formal ethics review.
Next steps: staff to prepare a written plan for recruitment and, if requested, initiate an ethics opinion process. No interim appointment was made during the Sept. 17 meeting.
