County workers may be fired

Sito Negron

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 | 9:42 a.m.

Two employees who collected sick pay from Clark County for days when they were are also collecting salaries as state legislators should be fired, county management has recommended.

Sources close to the investigation say Kathy McClain and Kelvin Atkinson, two Assembly members who work for the county's Parks and Community Services Department, said termination will be the subject of Friday's disciplinary hearings for the two lawmakers.

After the Sun requested time cards for the two lawmakers, the county launched an investigation and then sent letters to Atkinson and McClain notifying them of the disciplinary action being taken against them, County Manager Thom Reilly said.

He would not say what disciplinary action the county took as a result of the "double-dipping," citing employee confidentiality rules.

But Reilly said the county policy toward working one job while billing the county for pay or benefits is consistent.

"There is a precedent at the county for termination," he said. "I think everything has to be looked at in totality, but when an individual has worked another job, and billed the county, those individuals have been terminated."

The issue has not come up before because in previous years, McClain has taken unpaid leave during the session, and this was Atkinson's first session, Reilly said.

"We really haven't had a lot of county employees working in the Legislature."

Reilly said county policy that allowed employees in the Legislature to take vacation or comp time while in session will be changed; in future sessions, county workers must take leave without pay in order to serve in the Legislature.

Atkinson, county senior management analyst, could not be reached for comment about the termination recommendation, but he had previously said he was hoping that the county would not "overreact."

McClain, a senior advocate for the county, was not available for comment.

County records indicate McClain reported working on June 25 and 26, and July 21, when the Legislature was in session. She also took sick days July 14, 15, 16, and 17, but legislative records indicate she was present on those days.

Atkinson reported working May 10, 17 and 31, and July 16 and 21, according to county records. He claimed sick days July 17 and 18.

He said he worked the days noted on his time cards, flying to Las Vegas and working on Saturdays.

As for the sick days on July 17 and 18, he said he really was sick. He said the Assembly leadership successfully pleaded with him to come to the Assembly building on those days because crucial votes were expected.

He said he has "never abused sick time."

Reilly said the issue is: If he was too sick to work for the county, and he didn't turn back the pay from the state, he was double-dipping into the public coffers, and that's not allowed.