Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LOOKING IN ON: CLARK COUNTY

Clark County commissioners approved pay increases for themselves last week - kind of.

Freshman Commissioners Susan Brager and Lawrence Weekly did not want to take the proposed salary boosts, saying they had not been on the board long enough to earn it.

State lawmakers authorized commissioners to increase their salaries a total of 16 percent over the next four years. The proposal before commissioners Tuesday would have raised their base pay from $68,390 to $80,008 by 2010.

Commissioner Tom Collins proposed a compromise under which commissioners who do not want the raises could write a letter to that effect to County Manager Virginia Valentine by Friday.

That could make for some interesting political theater if some rookie commissioners take a raise and others don't.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who, like Brager, joined the commission in January, said she has not decided whether she will take the raise.

She did, however, ask staff to look into putting together a committee to explore the possibility of making the job full time. Banning outside employment would help cut down on conflicts of interest that commissioners face while working in the private sector, she said.

Collins attempted to make another compromise Tuesday, but it didn't go over as well.

For the past several months Collins has been promoting a change in county law that would require all county workers hired after July 1 to live in Clark County.

But other commissioners and county management were leery of that proposal and a vote was delayed.

Commissioner Bruce Woodbury expressed concern about how the rule would affect the county's Laughlin operations. Many workers in that resort town live across the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Ariz., in part because housing is less expensive there.

Although Collins' proposal wouldn't affect current employees, Woodbury and others also worried that the residency requirement might deprive the county of the most qualified employees.

Collins offered to amend his proposal to include a yearly review of the law, but that didn't seem to appease some members. Collins then asked that the item be held until the next meeting.

County commissioners are expected to approve a new development services director at the July 3 meeting.

Valentine is asking commissioners to appoint Ronald Lynn, who has been acting director of the 400-employee department since former Director Phil Rosenquist was promoted to assistant county manager.

Lynn, a 26-year veteran of county government, led the department's building division before being promoted. As development services director, he will be responsible for a $43 million annual budget and oversee building inspections, plan reviews and the county's engineering section.

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