LV delays decision on marshals’ pay

Sito Negron

Thursday, March 4, 2004 | 10:53 a.m.

The Las Vegas City Council will wait two weeks before deciding whether to add $560,000 to a contract with its marshals that was meant to bring the officers in line with police elsewhere in the valley, but which was interpreted by the city in a way that would have left three-year veterans making the same as newcomers.

City officials told the council Wednesday that they erred in that interpretation, and they recommended settling the issue by approving the added expense. However, the council members said they wanted to know more before voting in favor of the request.

Mayor Oscar Goodman said he was concerned with how the city government is addressing rising costs. He said while he supports the marshals, the line must be drawn somewhere.

"We not only have to take care of the city today, but we have to be concerned about the city tomorrow," Goodman said.

He said he was directing the city manager's office to explore legislation that would get rid of binding arbitration in collective bargaining.

City Manager Doug Selby took responsibility for the misunderstanding in interpreting the contract, which was approved by council in November and would boost entry level pay from about $37,000 a year to about $42,000. Shortly after, when marshals received their paychecks, union representatives challenged the city.

The disagreement was about who was eligible for the pay raises and when.

The marshals get annual cost-of-living increases as well as 'steps,' raises meant to reward officers for their experience. The Las Vegas Police Protective Association, negotiating for the marshals, wanted all officers to immediately get an increase similar to the jump in entry-level pay, but to also remain on their step schedule.

The city claimed the contract called for two steps to be taken from the bottom of the pay scale and added to the top, which meant some officers would not receive an instant pay boost, and some officers who have been with the city for three years would receive the same pay as entry-level officers.

The city stopped contesting the union's interpretation one step short of a binding judgment, and Wednesday Selby recommended settling the issue by approving the $560,000.

"I don't understand how something like this can fall through the cracks," said Councilman Gary Reese.

"This can't happen in the future. Everybody needs to understand what's being agreed to," said Goodman.

Metro Police Detective Dave Kallas, executive director of the Police Protective Union, said he's confident that when council members understand the agreement, "they'll vote in favor of the expense in two weeks.

"We're going to go ahead and wait for the two weeks to give the City Council the opportunity to discuss this situation with staff, which has come to the realization they really have no choice but to fulfill their obligations under the contract," Kallas said. "It just seems to me the council doesn't have enough information ... there is really not much to this.

"They (city staff) need to take time to educate the City Council on the specifics of the contract," Kallas said. "Once they do that City Council will see they have no alternative to fulfill their obligations. If not, they'll waste taxpayers' money in litigation they have no chance of succeeding in."