By james art 
A Washoe County board member has been suspended after a video last week showed her admitting to taking GOP campaign signs.
Amy Powell represented Washoe on the county board of certification. The three-person board certifies the Washoe County Clerk of Voters’ audits of the ballot count tests. It consists of one representative each from the county, Reno and Sparks.
Powell also serves as Deputy Director of Voter Protection for the Nevada Democratic Party.
Cliff Nellis recorded a video of their interaction, which was posted on the Auditing Reno 911 YouTube channel.
The registrar’s office said it learned of the video Monday morning as it prepared to conduct pre-election tests to make sure counting machines were counting ballots accurately.
“For reasons of expediency and not to muddy the waters, they have removed her from the board of certification for this process,” district spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale told the RGJ on Monday.
Powell was replaced with a county employee, she added.
The state Democratic Party and Powell did not respond to requests for comment.
The disagreement over campaign signs
While Republicans and Democrats often report picking up signs from opponents’ campaigns, it’s significant that someone charged with voter protection for the Nevada Democratic Party and a member of the county’s certification board would pick up signs.
In the video, Powell — sitting in the front seat of a black Mercedes van with California license plates — is heard telling Nellis, “You have no right to put it up on county property.”
Nellis stood with the signs between the sidewalk and the street in front of Mount Rose School. He responds that he has the right to display campaign signs at that location because it is public property.
She then says, “We’re both entitled to our opinions.”
They are waiting for the Reno police to arrive.
Nellis describes himself as a supporter of County Commission candidate Marcia Berkbigler. The two signs Powell made supported Berkbigler, he told the RGJ.
Toward the end of the 11-minute video, Nellis recorded two Reno police cars parked behind the van and then signed off without saying what happened.
He later said the police returned the signs to him and told him to keep going.
“I’m really glad I got them back because it took a lot of work to make these signs,” Nellis said.
What is the legality of putting up and taking down campaign signs in Washoe County?
Placing the Nellis signs is a bit of a gray area.
The Washoe County Code states: “No person shall place a sign on or upon any real or personal property, easements or rights of way owned by Washoe County.”
The signs were in an easement, but Nellis said they weren’t “put up,” they were in plastic buckets and he takes them home when he leaves. He sees them as temporary signs like a protester with a placard.
“It’s temporary, it’s not in the ground,” he said, adding that he likes to have his hands free to wave at people walking by.
What doesn’t seem to be in dispute is whether people can take down other people’s campaign signs if they think there’s a problem with them.
“Even if they’re on public property, it’s not an individual’s responsibility to take them down,” Drysdale said.
That would be the responsibility of law enforcement or law enforcement, she said, adding: “Don’t take someone else’s property, let the officials determine its legality.”
Mark Robison is the state political reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, occasionally dabbling in other topics. Email comments to [email protected] or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.