Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Commissioners to consider raising their salaries

Clark County commissioners could decide next week whether to give themselves pay raises.

The commissioners are scheduled to discuss and possibly vote on raising their $54,000 salaries during their regular meeting on Tuesday. If approved, it would be the first pay increase for commissioners since 1995.

Chairwoman Mary Kincaid-Chauncey said she thinks a majority of the commission will support raises, although exactly how much the raises could be has yet to be decided.

Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said he plans to recommend the board phase in a 26 percent pay raise over as many as five years, with the bulk of the raises coming in the later years. A 26 percent raise would increase commissioners' salaries to about $68,000 annually.

Woodbury said a pay increase is needed to ensure that more than just those financially well-off can afford to serve.

"Frankly, with my law practice I don't need the extra money, but it's important for the office," Woodbury said. "It will let more citizens be able to afford to run. It's on the verge of being a problem."

The commission jobs are considered part time, but commissioners say the jobs require full-time commitment.

"It's part time. It's about 40 to 50 hours a week," Kincaid-Chauncey said.

She said she would support some pay increase, and possibly one as high as 26 percent if it was spread over several years.

Kincaid-Chauncey also said the commissioners should discuss whether they should receive a car allowance, as many other elected officials in the area do.

Commissioner Myrna Williams said she, too, supports pay raises for commissioners, although she doesn't know yet how much those raises should be.

Commissioner Rory Reid said Tuesday night he hadn't decided whether he supports raises.

Commissioner Mark James said he was not sure on the details of the proposal and did not want to make a decision yet. But said he would consider the arguments presented.

"I knew what the salary was when I decided to run for the office," James said. "I am satisfied."

Commissioner Chip Maxfield was out of town, according to his office and could not be reached for comment.

Commissioners Yvonne Atkinson Gates did not return telephone messages seeking comment.

In the past commissioner salaries were decided by the State Legislature but, after defeating a move to raise commissioner salaries in the past session, lawmakers chose to give the Clark County Commission the power to raise their salaries by as much as 26.65 percent, which would increase their annual salaries to $68,391.

County Manager Thom Reilly said Tuesday that based on informal discussions with unnamed commissioners, he thinks a pay raise, if approved, would be spread out over a number of years.

"A phase-in would have minimal impact on the county financially," Reilly said.

Because the commissioners have not had a salary increase since July 1995, Reilly said, he believes the public will understand why the agenda item is necessary.

"The public is open to the fact that over this period of time there should be a way to increase salaries to keep up with the cost of living," Reilly said. "Otherwise, should their salaries stay that way for 10 more years or 20 more years?

"It's a difficult issue to address."

Reilly said that the commissioners really have no choice but to discuss the pay raise issue because they were authorized to do so when the Nevada Legislature approved Assembly Bill 23.

AB23 granted salary increases of 54.5 percent for the Clark County district attorney (from $100,800 to $155,745), 59.8 percent for the county sheriff (from $84,000 to $134,263), and 26.65 percent for the county assessor, treasurer, administrator, clerk and recorder, raising their salaries to $91,138. The 26.65 percent figure represents the cumulative pay hike given to state employees over the past eight years.

Reilly said that if the commissioners declined to discuss possible salary increases, there would be a chance that the Legislature would not authorize pay hikes for them in the future. Although the county is facing tough times financially, Reilly said he did not know that there was a better time to discuss the issue.

The agenda backup material for the salary discussion states that "over the past several decades, the Legislature adjusted county elected official salaries approximately every four to six years."

A special task force had recommended to Gov. Kenny Guinn that all elected state and local officials receive at least a 27 percent salary hike as of July 2001. The task force argued that Clark and Washoe county officials deserved those increases because their responsibilities had grown. The 2001 Legislature decided, though, to increase salaries only for certain judges.

"During the eight-year period since the last adjustment was enacted, the cost of living for urban areas of the Western states increased by 21.4 percent, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics," the agenda backup material states.

"As reported by the State of Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation, private sector wages in Clark County increased by approximately 27.2 percent during this period. Population in Clark County has increased by well over 50 percent in the past eight years."

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