County bosses may be manning phones

Monday, May 10, 2004 | 11 a.m.

Some of Clark County government's 200 managers may soon be moved to front-line, customer service jobs because of a looming county budget squeeze, sources said.

Clark County officials struggling with what they characterize as difficult budget and staffing issues will bring their recommendations to the county commissioners and the public this week, a process expected to result in the demotion of an unknown number of the county's high-ranking bureaucrats.

County Manager Thom Reilly said only the top priorities among staffing needs will get new people. County management has said that while tax revenue has grown, it has not grown enough to cover the needs of the rapidly expanding county population.

If the plan goes forward, some front-line supervisors and managers would go to jobs working with the public. That could include taking phone calls, helping people who come in to county offices and handling public requests.

The county funds social services, the community's only public hospital, the court system and other needs for 1.7 million people. It also provides traditional "urban" services such as land-use planning, public works, business licensing, fire protection and parks for about 700,000 people in the unincorporated county.

The county's department heads have collectively asked for about 400 new staff members to serve the population, which is growing annually by about 5 percent.

County insiders said that one of the proposals would likely take some of the county's 200 management officials and move them into positions working directly with the public.

It was not immediately clear how that plan would work, if the managers would continue to draw their old salaries, and how many management staff members would be affected. Reilly and county spokesman Erik Pappa declined comment on the report.

Reilly said commissioners will be briefed on the budget and staffing issues this week. The county has scheduled a May 17 public meeting to pass the budget, including an estimated $850 million general fund that covers most operations.

For months, county department heads have been meeting with a management team that includes Reilly, Administrative Services Director Don Burnette and Finance Director George Stevens. Reilly said department heads have had to justify new hires both to the team and to each other.

"It's immensely difficult," he said. "There are so many pressing needs that affect so many individuals in the community. You are having to prioritize among the priorities."

Chris Salm, research director for the Service Employees International Union Local 1107, which represents about 4,400 county employees, said he could not comment on the report that some management staff might be reassigned.

The union and county management have been at odds over management's calls to control rank-and-file wage increases. Reilly, Burnette and Stevens have said the growth in wages of more than 5 percent annually has stripped the county's ability to hire new staff to serve the growing county population.

Salm said the union will attend the May 17 budget meeting of the commission but would not have any comment on the re-shuffling of management staff to front-line positions until details on that plan become public.

"Obviously, our union will be looking at the budget process very carefully," he said.