Despite contention, Boulder City council approves salary hike

Greg Harman

Wednesday, June 28, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

Not all of the members of the Boulder City Council were content with the raise they approved Tuesday night.

Councilman Bill Smith, the sole dissenting vote on the four-member council, pledged to circulate petitions aimed at reversing the $5,000 annual raise for council members and $8,000 annual raise for Mayor Bob Ferraro.

"I feel that if you are going to pass this, then you're taking advantage of your position," Smith charged. "If this happens, we'll be the first council in the state of Nevada that has raised its own wages."

The salary increase recommended by City Manager John Sullard is intended to raise the wages for elected officials in Boulder City to a level closer to their counterparts in Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.

Unless Smith is successful in his campaign, the increased salaries will go into effect after next year's July election. The raise would modify the salaries of both the newly elected as well as those whose terms are unexpired.

The salary bump will raise council members' annual income from $10,363 to $15,363. The mayor's yearly pay will rise from $12,857 to $20,857, surpassing that of his counterpart in Carson City, which is much larger than Boulder City.

But adding in car allowances, insurance and other benefits, Smith said the council members really earn $22,000 a year and the mayor receives $24,000.

While several residents spoke for and against the proposal, the council's most vocal critic was former Boulder City mayor and councilwoman Iris Bletch.

"You are robbing the treasury, and you should feel ashamed of yourselves," Bletch told the council. "Your job is a public service job. You knew that when you went into it."

Bletch later suggested she may enter the City Council race next year, running against Smith and Mike Pacini.

Councilman Bryan Nix took issue with the objections.

"This is not about making a whole lot of money," Nix said. "The rationale for it is sound. We deserve this and future councils deserve this."

Comparing the council members' job with the private sector, supporter Linda McDonald said that "to go 10 years without a raise would not be tolerable in a corporation."

Salaries for the mayor and council members have increased only by about 3 percent over the past 10 years to keep pace with inflation, Sullard said.

One supporter of raises said that higher salaries would help inspire more qualified people to go into city service.

"To get the best people to run for these offices, we have to pay something," Tony Corkman said. "For $95 a week, we shouldn't even be talking about it."