LV City Council to weigh $15,000 pay, benefit hikes

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

The Las Vegas City Council will consider a proposal Wednesday to give itself raises of more than $15,000 a year in salary and benefits -- the first proposed council-voted hike in 16 years.

But the council members, who currently receive $40,664 for positions that technically are considered part time, and the mayor, who is paid $53,422, would not benefit from the pay hikes and a monthly car allowance until after their next elections -- should they win.

Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilmen Lawrence Weekly, Michael McDonald and Gary Reese are up for re-election in the primary in April. Council members Lynette Boggs McDonald, Larry Brown and Michael Mack do not run again until the April 2005 primary. If the bill is approved either they or their successors would receive pay raises after their June general election victories.

Council members would get about $56,000 in annual compensation under the plan and the mayor $74,000 annually.

When fully implemented in 2005, it will cost city taxpayers about $110,000 more per year to pay their elected officials.

"Yes, it is controversial and the council members will have to struggle with it, but I also feel it is the right thing to do," said City Manager Doug Selby, noting that he proposed the measure and that no one on the council asked for a raise.

"This has been on the back burner since 1998, when an independent committee recommended it. It also will attract qualified candidates who may not be independently wealthy."

Selby said future raises would be linked to parity with Clark County Commission salaries and the consumer price index, perhaps preventing the need for future city councils to have to vote on raises. Council members currently receive annual cost-of-living increases based on the consumer price index. Last year that was 1.5 percent.

The bill proposes to pay city councilmen 10 percent less than what Clark County commissioners receive and the mayor about 20 percent more than what commissioners get. But it will be considerably higher than the Henderson and North Las Vegas council members and mayors receive.

The raises for council members would consist of about $8,000 more a year in salary plus $7,200 from a $600 a month car allowance -- about $15,200 more a year. The mayor would get about $9,700 more a year in salary and $10,800 from a $900 monthly car allowance -- about $20,500.

The council has never before received a car allowance.

Selby said the proposed car allowance is comparable to what the Henderson council members and mayor receive. Boulder City residents in September voted to take car allowances from their council and mayor.

The bill will be introduced without discussion, as is traditional, and a date will be set for a council recommending committee hearing, where public comment will be permitted.

That meeting likely will be at 4 p.m. on Dec. 2 in the eighth floor city manager's conference room. The bill could be eligible for vote at a regular council meeting as early as Dec. 4, if it is fast-tracked at the recommending committee meeting.

Selby said, under the proposed hike, the mayor would go from receiving 8 cents per constituent to 9 cents per constituent. He said that compares favorably with mayors in other state municipalities: Reno 20 cents, North Las Vegas 27 cents and Henderson 18 cents per constituent.