Sick-leave policy changed for seven county positions

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 | 9:33 a.m.

The Clark County Commission, with no fanfare and little discussion, stripped seven elected county positions Tuesday of a potentially lucrative sick-leave policy.

Previously, the treasurer, assessor, sheriff, county clerk, recorder, district attorney and public administrator -- all elected officials making $72,000 a year -- could report that they did not take any sick days while serving their terms. They would be paid a bonus of half their regular pay for the sick days they did not take.

The vote to change the policy was 6-0, with Commissioner Myrna Williams absent. The motion to adopt the new policy came from Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, who has argued that the officials are basically the bosses of their departments and nobody keeps track of what sick days they take or do not take.

"If we're sick and don't come in, we get paid anyway," Commission Chairwoman Mary Kincaid-Chauncey said.

Assessor Mark Schofield, who has racked up thousands of dollars from the policy, said he is not sure if he will ever cash in on the accrued sick time -- but he has no problem with the policy change.

"We probably should never have been receiving those benefits," Schofield said.

He said the officers are answerable to the county residents who elected them, and they probably are not keeping track of the officers' sick days.

District Attorney David Roger, sworn in two months ago, agreed.

"It was a good idea for the county commissioners to amend the policy," Roger said. "We answer to the voters. We regulate our own hours, and I don't think the sick leave policy was necessary."

The policy attracted public attention after former Recorder Judith Vandever, who was out of her office for months last year, asked for more than $19,000 in sick pay she said she accrued over eight years in office. Vandever said she had worked from home and was therefore entitled to the money, although she later withdrew her claim.