State workers’ pay falls behind others

Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 | 9:35 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state pays its employees 18.7 percent less than other employers in Nevada, according to a survey by the state Personnel Department.

And pay for state employees also is lower than wages paid by local governments in Clark County.

Scott MacKenzie, executive director of the 3,500-member State of Nevada Employees Association, says the organization will be asking the 2003 Legislature to raise the pay by 4 percent next year and an additional 4 percent in 2004.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has indicated there won't be any money for pay increases for state workers this session, however, unless there is a major tax increase to cover that expense. The state is already looking at raising existing taxes and creating new ones to cover a projected budget shortfall of $700 million to $800 million, not including raises or benefit increases for state employees.

MacKenzie said Friday that his group's priority will be to get the state to keep fully funding the financially troubled health insurance programs for workers.

His comments came after the state Personnel Department released its biennial wage survey that showed state benefits, which include insurance, retirement and days off are 29.7 percent less than other major local governments in Nevada.

The study showed the average salary of a state worker is $42,718 compared with $50,178 for a Clark County employee. The average total benefits package for a state worker is $18,781 compared to a Clark County employee's package of $26,650.

The highest average wage by local government is $58,200 paid by the Las Vegas Valley Water District followed by $56,448 by the city of Las Vegas; $52,000 by Metro Police and $51,891 by Henderson.

The state's $42,718, however, is above the $37,559 average paid by employers in 10 Western states. Only California and Colorado have a higher annual wage of $49,944 and $44,676, respectively.

In 2000, the wages of state workers lagged 26.3 percent behind the average paid by all Nevada employers, and Guinn recommended a 4 percent raise each year of the biennium.

The Personnel Department's study showed state workers' pay lagged 1.7 percent compared with all Nevada employers and western state governments. Compared with western state employers only, the Nevada state worker was paid an average of 2.49 percent higher.

For the last seven years, the average salary increase for local governments was 22.8 percent compared with 19 percent for state workers, officials said. The Consumer Price Index rose 16.4 percent during that period.

During the same period, raises for school district employees in Clark, Washoe and Elko counties and in Carson City, increased a total of 11.3 percent.

MacKenzie said he knows that Guinn's top priority for the upcoming legislative session is education and giving teachers a raise. And he supports that. But, MacKenzie said, the association will still ask for the pay hike.

MacKenzie said the association also will fight to keep from losing health care benefits. He also wants a study to be conducted over the next two years on combining all government employees in Nevada into a single unit for health insurance to allow for better purchasing power.