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March 28, 2024

County Government:

Pay check: How does proposed $78,000 salary for county commissioners stack up?

County Commissioner's Meeting

Mona Shield Payne

Clark County commissioners listen to a speaker during a meeting at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

Updated Wednesday, March 20, 2013 | 3:04 p.m.

Clark County commissioners on Tuesday put themselves in line for two 4 percent pay increases over the next several months.

Though they still have to vote on a final resolution allowing the raises over the next year, commissioners were amenable to the overall $6,000 increase in salary from their current $72,488 annual pay.

How does Clark County match against counties of similar size? Here’s a look.

    • Wayne County, Mich.

      Each of the 15 county commissioners in Wayne County, Mich., is paid $61,000 annually for what is considered a part-time job. Wayne County, which covers 622 square miles and has 34 cities, including Detroit and its suburbs, is the nation’s 18th largest county, with 1,792,365 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 estimate. Median income in the county is $41,886, the Census Bureau said.

    • Broward County, Fla.

      Nine commissioners serve on the Broward County, Fla., Board of Commissioners and each is paid $92,097 — an amount set by Florida law, based on population. Broward County is the nation’s 17th largest county by population, with 1,815,137 people, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It covers 1,320 square miles and has 31 cities and towns, the biggest of which is Fort Lauderdale. Median income in the county, as reported by the Census Bureau, is $51,782.

    • Santa Clara, Calif.

      The five members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors each earns $143,031 annually. Santa Clara County is the nation’s 16th most populous county, with 1,837,504 people, according to Census Bureau estimates. The county covers 1,304 square miles with 15 incorporated cities and towns, the largest being San Jose. One of the most affluent counties in the United States, the median income in Santa Clara County is $89,064, the government reports.

    • Tarrant County, Texas

      The Commissioners Court oversees municipal business in Tarrant County, Texas, the nation’s 15th largest county by population. With 1,880,153 people, according to Census Bureau estimates, Tarrant County covers 897 square miles and has 41 incorporated cities and towns, the largest being Fort Worth. An elected county judge presides over the Commissioners Court and earns an annual salary of $147,725. Four commissioners on the court earn $135,718 annually. The median income in the Dallas-area county is $56,178, according to the Census Bureau.

    • Clark County, Nev.

      A seven-member commission calls the shots in Clark County, the 14th most-populous county in the country with 2,000,759 people. The county sprawls over a vast 8,091 square miles in Southern Nevada. Commissioners currently earn $72,488 annually for jobs, which officially are listed as part-time positions. But after action Tuesday, commissioners are in line for pay raises to $78,403. The median income among Clark County residents is $55,961, according to the Census Bureau.

    • King County, Wash.

      The Metropolitan King County Council has nine members who each earns an annual salary of $139,591. King County is ranked 13th among the nation’s most populous counties, with 2,007,440 people. The county covers 2,134 square miles and has 39 cities and towns, the largest of which is Seattle. Median income in King County is $70,567, according to the Census Bureau.

    • San Bernardino County, Calif.

      The five supervisors on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors each earns an annual salary of $151,971 — the highest among the counties surveyed for this story. It’s also the most populous of the counties surveyed, with 2,081,313 people, No. 12 in the nation, according to Census Bureau estimates. And at 20,105 square miles, it’s the largest U.S. county by area. San Bernardino is the largest city. The median income of the county’s residents is $55,835, according to the Census Bureau.

    • Washoe County, Nev.

      Washoe County isn’t among the nation’s most-populous counties. But it is Nevada’s second most-populous county, with 429,908 residents, according to Census Bureau estimates. County commissioners there earned an annual salary of $55,715 in 2011, according to transparentnevada.com. Median income in Washoe County is $55,813, according to the Census Bureau.

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