LOOKING IN ON: CLARK COUNTY

Sunday, July 8, 2007 | 7:08 a.m.

Two of Clark County's three new commissioners will pass up a pay increase.

Commissioners Susan Brager and Lawrence Weekly wrote letters to County Manager Virginia Valentine last week asking that they be excluded from the raises that commissioners voted to give themselves June 19.

Brager and Weekly, who joined the board in January and March, respectively, said they don't feel their short time on the commission warrants a pay boost.

"Please be advised that I have chosen to forgo any salary increases until I have met the requirement to be elected by the voters," wrote Weekly, appointed by Gov. Jim Gibbons to fill the seat left vacant by Yvonne Atkinson Gates' resignation.

Brager, who defeated incumbent Lynette Boggs in November, said that if re elected to a second term in 2011, she will accept the pay increase at that time.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who also joined the commission in January after winning in the November election, did not request to be exempt. She was out of town and unavailable for comment Friday.

Giunchigliani and four of her colleagues - Rory Reid, Bruce Woodbury, Chip Maxfield and Tom Collins - will receive raises in annual 4 percent increments between now and 2010. Those raises, authorized by state lawmakers during this year's legislative session, will increase commissioners' base pay from $68,390 to $80,008 over four years.

When commissioners voted unanimously to give themselves the raise, they did so with the caveat that commissioners could exempt themselves by writing a letter to Valentine by June 29.

After months of trying, Commissioner Tom Collins finally got his colleagues to approve Tuesday his proposed residency requirement for county workers.

A series of compromises helped win over other commissioners, who were concerned that the new law might prevent the county from attracting the most talented employees.

The new law makes an exception for county workers in Laughlin, where many live across the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Ariz., where less expensive housing is available.

It also allows the county manager to ask commissioners for a waiver of the rule and provides for a 90-day probationary period to give recruits time to move to Clark County.

The law applies only to county workers hired after July 17 and will not affect current employees.

Collins said the residency requirement will keep tax money in Clark County and increase loyalty among the county's workforce. More than 100 of the county's 10,000-plus employees live in other counties or states.

The county will host two public forums this month to answer questions and get input from residents as part of a review of the financially struggling University Medical Center.

The valley's only public hospital is looking for ways to cut costs after commissioners approved a $60 million bailout this year.

The forums will take place at the Clark County Government Center downtown from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 16 and from 10 a.m. to noon July 21.