Douglas commission must move on

In a long overdue move, embattled Douglas County Commissioner Steve Weissinger submitted his resignation at Thursday's board meeting at Stateline.

Troubles began for the twice-elected Gardnerville Ranchos commissioner in June when he was charged with allegedly embezzling money from his former employer, Raley's in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Weissinger claimed the incident was a "cash handling error" and expressed confidence he eventually would be exonerated.

Before Weissinger's case reached the courts, in August he was stopped in Carson City and charged with driving under the influence. That case is still undecided, with a related criminal court date scheduled next month.

In the meantime, Weissinger pleaded no contest to the embezzlement charges at a October court appearance and served eight days in El Dorado County, Calif., jail.

There was no exoneration and, because of the no contest plea, the public - including his constituents and those who voted for him - never got the chance to hear Weissinger fully explain his side of the South Tahoe incident.

Finally, a full five months after this unfortunate situation started, Weissinger did the right thing and tendered his resignation.

During an already tumultuous era in county politics, when growth and no-growth factions increasingly find themselves at direct odds, speculation over Weissinger's replacement will continue to keep the spotlight on the board of commissioners in the coming months.

Thankfully, though, the drawn-out wait for Weissinger's decision is over. Quite simply, it's time to move on and clear the "dark clouds" surrounding the board of commissioners and the business of county government.