Miller driver earns too much

Wednesday, May 14, 1997 | 11:37 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Highway Patrol lieutenant assigned to serve as Gov. Bob Miller's chauffeur and bodyguard earned more than Miller's $90,000 salary last year, and an Assembly subcommittee chairwoman wants this to stop.

"This is irresponsible," said Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, head of a Senate-Assembly budget committee considering the proposed NHP spending program.

Lt. Angelo Webster, chief of the two-year-old dignitary protection unit to safeguard the governor and his family, earned $100 more than Miller through overtime and callbacks to the job. Webster also supervises five troopers assigned to the Governor's Mansion.

Col. Mike Hood, chief of the Highway Patrol, said he has started to personally monitor the overtime. He said if the Legislature approves two additional officers for the unit, he will cut the overtime by 30 percent.

Hood said the overtime and callbacks for Webster were "excessive" but legal. Giunchigliani suggested that overtime, which totaled $109,000 for the unit, could be cut by 50 percent if two officers were added. But Hood stuck by his 30 percent figure and the subcommittee agreed Tuesday to the proposed budget.

The subcommittee also decided the protection unit's budget should be in a separate account so it can be monitored. It was created two years ago and Giunchigliani said its funds have been mingled with others in the patrol, making it difficult to judge performance.

Assemblyman John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain, questioned how many calls "of a violent nature" the unit handles. Hood responded, "A few," citing two cases where physical force had to be used to remove an individual from the grounds of the Governor's Mansion.

But Giunchigliani noted that the protection unit calls the Capitol Police or the Highway Patrol to help in those cases. Hood said the officer on duty cannot leave his monitoring station.

Hood said adding a sergeant to the staff of the dignitary protection unit would allow him to take over the administrative functions from Webster.

"I don't want to see any $40,000 in overtime" for Webster, Giunchigliani said. "I want to make sure nobody is called back (to duty) to pick up pizza."

Sen. Lawrence Jacobsen, R-Minden, supported the unit, saying, "If we want protection, we have to pay the price. I would rather be safe than sorry."

Hood said the governor must have protection everywhere he drives and at every meeting he attends.

The subcommittee also allocated $165,000 for overtime for troopers to help provide security for the National Governors Conference in July in Las Vegas. Hood said President Clinton is flying in to address the conference and would then fly to Lake Tahoe for a summit on the future of the lake.

An extra 75-90 officers will be transferred to Las Vegas for the conference, Hood said, adding that the governors association is not picking up any of the costs of security.

Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Reno, said unrest in the country is high and the state must protect the people who visit. "We need to protect the people we elect to do a job," she said.

The subcommittee voted to allow 15 more troopers in the Las Vegas area, instead of the 29 staff members requested by Hood. And it agreed to put enough money in the budget for 15 additional troopers and supervisors in Northern Nevada, as requested.

Hood said the patrol is handling 1,000 accidents a month in Las Vegas, and when a trooper comes on duty, the accidents are stacked up four deep waiting for a responding officer.

Giunchigliani said, however, that she has seen as many as eight officers answering one accident call. She said taxpayers don't want duplication and troopers driving down city streets, rather than on state highways.

"The perception from the public is there are too many" troopers, Giunchigliani said. But Hood said the patrol's jurisdiction has increased with the addition of new highways.