Liaisons drive up council spending

Erin Neff

Sunday, July 2, 2000 | 10:19 a.m.

All things being equal, the offices of the seven Las Vegas City Council members are not.

A Sun analysis of city budget and personnel records shows that Councilmen Gary Reese and Michael McDonald spend considerably more than their council counterparts, largely because of rising salaries and pay raises for their ward liaisons.

Reese's two liaisons earn $184,059 in salaries and benefits, while McDonald's make $162,790 -- up to 80 percent more than is spent by Councilmen Lawrence Weekly and Michael Mack on liaisons.

"I don't think that's accurate," Reese said. "I'm going to defend mine (liaisons) because they've been with me from the start, and I think my constituents get the best bang for their buck."

Loretta Arrington, Reese's former executive assistant and currently a ward liaison, has a base salary of $67,865, which with longevity pay brings her pay to $81,000.

The liaisons, a large chunk of the $2.3 million annual cost of operating the City Council and mayor's offices, were the brainstorm of McDonald in 1995. He complained that two secretaries were assigned to handle the business of all four council members.

"It was really difficult," said Rick Henry, McDonald's high school friend who was hired in October 1995 as the city's first ward liaison. "There was no accountability before the liaisons."

Liaisons are designed to bring constituents in contact with each council office. From its inception, the system has grown to include 14 people working for the mayor and council.

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald is the only board member with just one liaison. Mayor Oscar Goodman has three, who are classified as executive assistants.

One high-ranking City Hall official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some liaisons are "out-of-control, pampered pets" who skirt attempts to rein in their cellular phone use and keep them on the job during work hours.

"We've just about written them off," said the official, who feared being fired if named. "The whole system is flawed, but there's too much political support behind them."

No one denies that liaisons provide an important bridge to constituents by handling minor issues, conducting research and meeting with residents. But since liaisons grew out of council requests, they do not have traditional job descriptions or qualifications.

"It's very amorphous," Human Resources Director Rick Anderson said. "The hallmark of the job is supposed to be providing management support to the office."

Liaisons are classified as management analysts. Minimum qualifications for the positions include "equivalent to a bachelor's degree."

On-the-job training satisfies that prerequisite for some, and lack of a degree doesn't limit the amount they can earn or have an effect on their promotions.

Henry, for example, has a high school education but is the highest-ranking liaison on the 10th floor of City Hall, where the council members and mayor have their offices. His last raise was 8 percent, the top of the city's allowable range. When he reached the top of the scale for the management analyst II position, he was bumped into a new position -- senior management analyst.

"I have a Ph.D.," Henry said. "My Ph.D. stands for poor, hungry and determined."

One council member, who asked not to be identified, said Henry's ascendency as senior liaison "creates a morale problem below the 10th floor because you have people who have supervisory responsibilities and master's degrees that are being paid less than Susie Martinez (of Reese's office) or Rick Henry."

Councilman Michael Mack, who took office in January and has the second-lowest overall office costs, said he took a private-sector approach to hiring his liaisons.

"I brought these people in at the bottom," Mack said. "Being from the private sector, it looked like a pretty good range."

Councilman Lawrence Weekly and Boggs McDonald also have their liaisons at the low end of the scale. One of Councilman Larry Brown's liaisons is also at the bottom of the scale.

Although ultimately the liaisons report to City Manager Virginia Valentine, Brown said council members should closely monitor their budgets and costs.

"I think that if we are going to, from a policy perspective, create a more effective government, it absolutely has to start on the 10th floor," he said.

Valentine declined to comment for this story.

Anderson said with appointed positions like liaisons, promotions to higher job classifications come with 5 percent raises. Cost-of-living adjustments are 3.5 percent and merit increases are given on a scale of up to 8 percent. Mid-year raises of up to 8 percent are also possible.

As a result, employees with a few years under their belt can qualify, on average, for two raises a year. Four raises are possible.

In addition, once an employee has worked six years for the city, longevity pay of a half-percent per year is added up to a cap of 10 percent for employees with 20 years.

In addition to the $891,481 budgeted for ward liaison offices, the mayor and council members spend another $1.5 million for their individual offices.

Those costs include telephone, postage, copying and supplies, which are similar among the six council offices.

Goodman's office budget is $430,977, including salaries of his liaisons and other employees, benefits and office costs. The mayor's office has a larger budget for dues and subscriptions, travel and computer maintenance than the other council members.

Each council member represents roughly 76,000 constituents. The mayor represents all of the city's 450,000 residents.

When told his office was the most expensive, Goodman said: "I'm not getting any of it."

Council members make $37,525, and the mayor makes $49,325.