Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Henderson tries furloughs, more buyouts to fix budget

Some employees will be able to take 12 days off, unpaid

Beyond the Sun

Henderson is taking more steps to dig itself out of a financial hole.

The City Council has approved a voluntary furlough program, which will allow some employees to take up to 12 days of unpaid leave. The offer is not available if an employee’s absence would require paying overtime to another employee.

The city will also offer another round of buyouts to induce longtime (and more expensive) employees to quit. About 60 people took a buyout offer earlier this year, saving the city $3.5 million this year and $16 million over the next five years.

The new offer will be the same — two weeks’ pay for every year of service and three months of health care coverage, with no maximum payout.

The offer will be available to employees whose age plus years of service to the city are greater than 60.

The new offer, combined with the furlough offer, is expected to save about $4 million this year.

The city needs to shave another $4 million from its current budget after cutting $50 million for its budget over the next two years.

The need for more cuts stems from falling consolidated tax revenue. The revenue dropped for the 22nd consecutive month in December, decreasing more than 20 percent compared with December 2007.

•••

The Henderson City Council has named the nine-member board to oversee the design and construction of a proposed science museum.

It includes two elected officials: Councilman Jack Clark, who is credited with the idea for a city museum, and Mayor James Gibson.

The $61 million Henderson Space and Science Center would anchor a mixed-use development filled with other museums, retail stores, restaurants and condominiums.

It’s proposed for 150 acres the city owns near Galleria Drive and U.S. 95.

The board will run a nonprofit foundation to raise money for the construction and operation of the center, which would be the first of its kind in Southern Nevada.

The board also includes Denis Beller, a UNLV engineering professor; Jim Frey; dean of liberal arts at UNLV; Steve Hanson, city finance director; Shauna Hughes, city attorney; Rich MacDonald, a developer; Stephanie Morris, an accountant; Elizabeth Trosper, a political and public relations consultant; and Beth Williams, the widow of astronaut Clifton Williams.

The city projects the museum could draw 300,000 visitors annually.

City officials have said now is the time to make plans for the museum, despite the economic woes, to have it ready to build when the economy rebounds.

The city has $25 million earmarked for the project and is hoping to get federal grants and stimulus money.

•••

With a five-candidate race for the open mayoral seat in Henderson, rows of campaign signs and mailboxes stuffed with fliers were expected.

Seeing candidates for the suburban office on television?

Not so much.

Henderson mayoral candidate Andy Hafen’s first television commercial debuted last week.

Political observers said it was the first time in recent memory a municipal candidate took to the airwaves.

“It is just one way for us to try to reach voters,” said Dave Thomas, Hafen’s campaign manager. “It’s something we felt would work for us.”

The campaign has spent about $70,000 to air the commercial over the next few weeks, Thomas said.

Candidate Steve Kirk’s campaign manager, Jim Ferrence, said Kirk shot a commercial that will debut this week. He said they’ll also spend about $70,000 on airtime.

Kirk and Hafen, both current City Council members, have raised the most cash in the Henderson race.

As of January, Kirk had about $300,000 and Hafen had about $150,000. Those totals do not include money the candidates have raised since Jan. 1.

The two are facing Amanda Cyphers, a real estate agent and former city councilwoman; Richard Sipan, a lawyer; and Mike Mayberry, a former city police chief.

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