Disgraced Weissinger votes then immediately leaves

MINDEN - Douglas County Commissioner Steve Weissinger voted to renew County Manager Dan Holler's contract, then left the County Administration Building on Thursday as the Douglas County Commissioner's public meeting got under way.

Weissinger would not talk to the press.

County Manager Dan Holler and Commissioner Jacques Etchegoyhen said they were surprised at Weissinger's departure.

If, Etchegoyhen said, it is Weissinger's decision to leave the public meeting, "it is time" for his criminal conduct to be discussed.

Weissinger's future on the county commission was not discussed by commissioners.

Weissinger was reportedly released from jail earlier this week, where he served 10 days after he pleaded no contest on two misdemeanor counts of embezzlement. A third count was dropped, and Weissinger was booked into the jail Oct. 23.

Formerly a store manager, Weissinger was arrested June 13 for allegedly taking $100 from the Raley's grocery store in Stateline.

Store security placed him under citizen's arrest after the incident was caught on video.

Weissinger was also ordered to pay $1,315 in restitution. El Dorado County prosecutors initially said they had evidence of two other incidents at Raley's that proved Weissinger took more than $1,000 during a three-month period.

County Commission Chairman Kelly Kite took over leadership of the board in August after Weissinger voluntarily gave up the gavel following his arrest.

There are three causes for removal from the Douglas County commission, including malfeasance, conviction of a felony or dereliction of duty.

Weissinger has been a commissioner since 1996. He was named chairman of the board last year.

His attorney William Cole did not return numerous telephone calls. Weissinger also faces a Dec. 10 court date on a drunken driving charge following an August traffic stop by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper in Carson City, when he was reportedly driving 51 mph in a 35 mph zone. The commissioner was taken into custody after allegedly failing a field sobriety test.

Cole has said that Weissinger registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.88 percent and that the arrest that occurred before Nevada lowered its drunken -driving level to 0.8 percent.