County equalizes merit raises

Angela Soo

Wednesday, June 6, 2001 | 10:10 a.m.

Merit pay for Clark County employees will be capped at 4 percent beginning next month, a move that will save the county money and end criticism of unequal treatment under the program that rewards good job performances.

Tuesday's decision by the County Commission will save about $1 million over the next fiscal year, spokesman Doug Bradford said.

That's because merit increases have varied in past years, with some employees receiving as much as 6 percent. During this fiscal year, which ends June 30, merit increases averaged 4.2 percent for the 3,551 employees who received them.

Tom Beatty, executive director of the Nevada Service Employees Union, which represents county employees, said he was pleased with the change.

"I'm satisfied with the change that brought uniformity and equity to the system," Beatty said.

Merit pay is in addition to the annual cost-of-living increase that each employee receives. Only those employees who have not yet reached the top of their salary schedule are eligible for the raises.

"Some departments were giving higher merit pay increases than others," Bradford said. "At the Department of Aviation they weren't giving more than 4 percent, while other departments were giving 5 or 6 percent."

Beatty said merit increases varied widely because of subjective analysis by department heads. Some departments granted only 2 percent raises, he said.

It will be much fairer, he said, beginning with the new fiscal year that begins July 1. "You won't have two employees who work the same ... and get different increases," Beatty said.