State workers lag behind other public employees in pay

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's 15,000 state workers are generally better paid than their counterparts in other Western states, but their salaries trail public employees in most major counties and cities in Nevada.

A salary survey by the state Personnel Department was distributed to the budget committees of the Legislature Monday showing the average compensation for a state worker at $45,282. This includes pay, retirement, insurance and leave benefits. Only California at $55,774 and Oregon at $45,349 are higher among the 10 other states.

But state workers are behind compensation in cities and counties by 18.7 percent. Only Elko County is lower at $45,245.

The highest average compensation, according to the survey, is in Henderson at $62,755, followed by Metro Police at $58,433, Reno at $56,966, Sparks at $55,632 and Clark County at $55,192.

Gov. Kenny Guinn says there is not enough money available for cost-of-living raises in the next two years for state workers, but he is putting extra money aside for added benefits for correctional officers who work at the Ely and Lovelock prisons, where there are recruitment troubles.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, told acting Personnel Director Jeanne Greene that a congressional study shows Nevada is the 10th highest in average salaries of state workers. That seems at odds with the state report, Raggio said, adding, "It doesn't seem that we are that bad off."

The findings of the salary survey were reinforced by the state Gaming Control Board, which said its workers are 25 percent below the marketplace in Nevada. As an example of the problem, Board Chairman Steve DuCharme told the budget committees the agency has been trying for two years to hire a chief of the electronics division.

It hasn't been able to fill the position because of the "salary constraint" and had to combine the job with head of the audit division.

Despite Guinn's budget of no general pay increases, the State of Nevada Employees Association, with a membership of about 4,400 workers, intends to push for cost-of-living raises and for special pay boosts for some classifications of workers.

The report shows state workers received a 14 percent cost-of-living increase in the last eight years, compared with a consumer price index rise of 18.4 percent. Employees in local governments averaged a 22.5 percent raise during that time.

Employees in Las Vegas received a 29.3 percent increase, followed by Henderson with 28 percent, North Las Vegas at 27.7 percent and Clark County at 21.9 percent.

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