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Nevada councilwoman found dead faced possible sanctions
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 26, 2011 -- Updated 0008 GMT (0808 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* NEW: Councilwoman Donna Fairchild faced possible sanctions
* She and her husband are found dead in Nevada city
* Each apparently died of single gunshot wounds
* Both were retired from the Denver Police Department
(CNN) -- A Nevada city councilwoman who faced possible sanctions over a travel expense voucher and public comments was found dead with her husband Tuesday, hours before a city council meeting that had the issues involving her on its agenda, officials said.
Donna Fairchild and Bill Fairchild were found in a residence, according to a press statement from the city of Mesquite, Nevada, on Interstate 15 near the border with Arizona. Police got a call from the residence at 4:15 a.m., the city said.
Each apparently suffered a single gunshot wound, the city said. Autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday. Results from the Clark County Coroner's Office were expected to take four to six weeks, according to the statement.
Mesquite city spokesman Bryan Dangerfield would not comment on the circumstances of their deaths.
The city council was required to meet Tuesday night, but in light of the day's events, Dangerfield did not expect the allegations against Fairchild to be debated.
Fairchild, who was a candidate for mayor, told the Desert Valley Times last week she would not comment on the allegations against her, but, instead, would talk about them Tuesday night.
Mayor Susan Holecheck and City Attorney Cheryl Truman Hunt were to ask the city council to consider sanctioning Fairchild through possible reprimand, removal from boards, or expulsion for filing a $94.60 travel reimbursement request with the city for a January 4 Nevada Development Authority board meeting she allegedly did not attend, according to an item on the council agenda.
Fairchild allegedly violated the city's code of conduct and its personnel policy, and fraudulently presented a claim to a public officer, Hunt wrote in a January 18 memo.
Holecheck, who is seeking re-election, and Hunt also wanted the City Council to consider removing Fairchild as the city's representative to the Nevada Development Authority (NDA) board of directors.
According to a filing on the agenda, comments Fairchild made about the development authority in a newspaper article "were negative towards this agency, and deemed incompatible with the mission of the agency and good working relations with other NDA board members."
A January 7 article of the Desert Valley Times includes interviews and comments from Mesquite mayoral candidates.
In the article, Fairview said, "We just got a bill from the Nevada Development Authority -- it costs $7,500 to belong. There was one thing that came out of the NDA and that was Do It Best. That was huge for the community but I don't think we're getting the bang for our buck."
In the article, Fairchild said Mesquite should be doing most of its own marketing.
NDA Executive Director Somer Hollingsworth wrote Holecheck that Fairchild -- who was the city's representative to the board since July 2009 -- should have brought her concerns to him, rather than airing them publicly, especially since she was a member of the NDA executive committee, according to an e-mail attached with the filing.
According to the agenda item, Fairchild could have discussed her issues with the NDA if she had attended the January 4 board meeting.
CNN left a message for Holecheck and Hunt on Tuesday.
A statement from the mayor's office and City Council said, "It is with a heavy heart that we make this announcement. Mesquite has lost two citizens that have devoted their life to public service. On behalf of myself and the City Council, this is a tremendous loss to our community and we express our deepest sympathies to the Fairchild's family, loved ones and friends."
Donna Fairchild served on the City Council from 2001-07 and was re-elected in 2009. She moved to Mesquite with Bill Fairchild in 1999 after they both retired from the Denver Police Department, the city said.
Donna Fairchild also has been an EMT/paramedic and news reporter for KIMN/KYGO radio in Denver. In Mesquite, Bill worked at a recreation center, was a member of the Virgin Valley Honor Guard and the Veterans of Foreign War.
The Fairchilds were married for 21 years, the city said.
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 26, 2011 -- Updated 0008 GMT (0808 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* NEW: Councilwoman Donna Fairchild faced possible sanctions
* She and her husband are found dead in Nevada city
* Each apparently died of single gunshot wounds
* Both were retired from the Denver Police Department
(CNN) -- A Nevada city councilwoman who faced possible sanctions over a travel expense voucher and public comments was found dead with her husband Tuesday, hours before a city council meeting that had the issues involving her on its agenda, officials said.
Donna Fairchild and Bill Fairchild were found in a residence, according to a press statement from the city of Mesquite, Nevada, on Interstate 15 near the border with Arizona. Police got a call from the residence at 4:15 a.m., the city said.
Each apparently suffered a single gunshot wound, the city said. Autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday. Results from the Clark County Coroner's Office were expected to take four to six weeks, according to the statement.
Mesquite city spokesman Bryan Dangerfield would not comment on the circumstances of their deaths.
The city council was required to meet Tuesday night, but in light of the day's events, Dangerfield did not expect the allegations against Fairchild to be debated.
Fairchild, who was a candidate for mayor, told the Desert Valley Times last week she would not comment on the allegations against her, but, instead, would talk about them Tuesday night.
Mayor Susan Holecheck and City Attorney Cheryl Truman Hunt were to ask the city council to consider sanctioning Fairchild through possible reprimand, removal from boards, or expulsion for filing a $94.60 travel reimbursement request with the city for a January 4 Nevada Development Authority board meeting she allegedly did not attend, according to an item on the council agenda.
Fairchild allegedly violated the city's code of conduct and its personnel policy, and fraudulently presented a claim to a public officer, Hunt wrote in a January 18 memo.
Holecheck, who is seeking re-election, and Hunt also wanted the City Council to consider removing Fairchild as the city's representative to the Nevada Development Authority (NDA) board of directors.
According to a filing on the agenda, comments Fairchild made about the development authority in a newspaper article "were negative towards this agency, and deemed incompatible with the mission of the agency and good working relations with other NDA board members."
A January 7 article of the Desert Valley Times includes interviews and comments from Mesquite mayoral candidates.
In the article, Fairview said, "We just got a bill from the Nevada Development Authority -- it costs $7,500 to belong. There was one thing that came out of the NDA and that was Do It Best. That was huge for the community but I don't think we're getting the bang for our buck."
In the article, Fairchild said Mesquite should be doing most of its own marketing.
NDA Executive Director Somer Hollingsworth wrote Holecheck that Fairchild -- who was the city's representative to the board since July 2009 -- should have brought her concerns to him, rather than airing them publicly, especially since she was a member of the NDA executive committee, according to an e-mail attached with the filing.
According to the agenda item, Fairchild could have discussed her issues with the NDA if she had attended the January 4 board meeting.
CNN left a message for Holecheck and Hunt on Tuesday.
A statement from the mayor's office and City Council said, "It is with a heavy heart that we make this announcement. Mesquite has lost two citizens that have devoted their life to public service. On behalf of myself and the City Council, this is a tremendous loss to our community and we express our deepest sympathies to the Fairchild's family, loved ones and friends."
Donna Fairchild served on the City Council from 2001-07 and was re-elected in 2009. She moved to Mesquite with Bill Fairchild in 1999 after they both retired from the Denver Police Department, the city said.
Donna Fairchild also has been an EMT/paramedic and news reporter for KIMN/KYGO radio in Denver. In Mesquite, Bill worked at a recreation center, was a member of the Virgin Valley Honor Guard and the Veterans of Foreign War.
The Fairchilds were married for 21 years, the city said.
