Gibbons refused pay cut, closed mansion to Sandovals

By David McGrath Schwartz

Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 | 11:08 a.m.

This will not burnish former Gov. Jim Gibbons' legacy.

After losing in the primary, Gibbons stopped reimbursing the state for the equivalent of the 4.6 percent pay cut other state workers had to take, the Nevada Appeal reports.

Gibbons stopped monthly reimbursement payments to a state account in July, despite promising to share the sacrifice with other state workers back in 2009, according to the Carson City newspaper.

Gov. Brian Sandoval defeated Gibbons in the June Republican primary. Sandoval has proposed state workers, school district employees and higher education workers take a straight 5 percent cut to replace furloughs, because of administrative difficulties of dealing with having state workers take off one day a month. Sandoval has promised that he and his office will take the same cut, and he has declined a 6 percent raise allowed under law.

This was not his only act of apparent petulance after four difficult years in office.

Transition Director Steve Robinson said Gibbons refused to allow the incoming first family to visit the Governor's Mansion until Jan. 1. Gov. Brian Sandoval, his wife Kathleen and their three children moved in Jan. 3.

Robinson told the Las Vegas Sun that Gibbons ordered full cooperation of department heads and staff to the incoming administration, and allowed them to craft a budget to their liking.

"It was the best transition I can remember," said Robinson, who had worked for former Gov. Kenny Guinn and in the opening months of the Gibbons administration.

But he said, Gibbons' refusal to open the mansion for a visit "made no sense to me. It turned me off. I thought it was small-minded."

Gibbons refused to personally meet with Sandoval, and did not attend the inauguration.

Robinson did praise Gibbons for allowing Sandoval to choose Gaming Control Board appointments.