Panel to consider proper size, salaries for LV City Council

Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1998 | 10:57 a.m.

The Las Vegas City Council has selected seven community leaders to study whether to increase the number of council members or significantly increase the salaries of the existing five members.

Mayor Jan Laverty Jones said the committee "well represents the majority interests of all of the (city's) residents."

Councilman Arnie Adamsen, who joined Jones and the other members in Monday's unanimous vote, said the creation of the committee puts the issue in the hands of Las Vegas residents, not the Legislature. The committee is expected to meet regularly at public hearings until the end of the year.

In the last Nevada Legislature, a bill was proposed to mandate that the City Council become a seven-member board similar to the Clark County Commission. That bill failed, but it could be brought up again in the next legislative session.

Councilman Larry Brown called the committee "outstanding" in experience and credibility.

The members are developer Russ Dorn, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Chairman-elect Bob Forbus, UNLV professor of public administration Leonard Goodall, businesswoman Kathy Ong, businessman Ron Portaro, Mirage Resorts Inc. manager of government relations Fernando Romero and businessman Kenny Young.

Proponents of increasing the size of the board hope that the wards will be realigned to give minorities a better chance to serve on what now is an all-white City Council.

About 425,000 people live in the four wards, each represented by a single council member. The mayor is elected on an at-large basis.

Currently City Council posts are considered part-time jobs. However, the demands often require council members to work far more than 40 hours a week.

Traditionalists have long opposed efforts by the council to elevate itself to full-time status regardless of the number of hours that members work. Opponents of the change to full-time status say council members already are fairly compensated.

The council members currently receive $36,400 a year, the mayor $41,100. Those numbers could greatly increase if full-time status is approved. The Legislature would have to approve such a change.

The committee is expected to weigh the cost of either increasing the number of wards or the size of salaries. Each council member is entitled to two aides and a secretary at a cost of about $200,000 a year.

City Manager Virginia Valentine said outside the meeting that her staff will work with the committee but has not formed an opinion on which way is the best to go.

The findings of the committee could come before the full council for vote by as early as next spring.