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Steve Weissinger, facing charges of misdemeanor embezzlement and drunken driving, is stepping down as chairman of the Douglas County Commission - but staying on as a member of the panel.
"Due to yet-to-be-resolved issues in my personal life, I request in the best interests of Douglas County and yourselves to officially step down as chairman," he wrote in a letter to fellow commissioners.
Weissinger, selected as chairman in January, was scheduled to step down at the commission's Thursday meting. Commissioner Kelly Kite has been serving as interim chairman since June.
Weissinger was arrested in Carson City on charges of drunken driving Aug. 23, and faces a Nov. 9 hearing in that case. He also faces a Nov. 3 trial in El Dorado County, Calif., on three counts of misdemeanor embezzlement from his former employer, Raley's Supermarket in South Lake Tahoe.
Through his attorney, William Cole, Weissinger has denied being under the influence and denied the theft charges in court.
Prosecutors in El Dorado County said they have evidence of three incidents in which Weissinger is accused of taking more than $1,000 while he was a Raley's manager.
