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City, county may lose say in police pay negotiations
Under amendment, union would talk with sheriff only
Saturday, May 16, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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Under a last-minute amendment approved by a Senate committee Friday, the union that represents Metro Police would negotiate contracts directly with the sheriff, barring from bargaining sessions representatives of Las Vegas and Clark County, which fund the police department.
Detective David Kallas, director of government affairs for the Police Protective Association, who introduced the amendment in the Senate Government Affairs Committee, said eliminating city and county representatives from the process “eliminates layers of bureaucracy that’s an impediment from coming up with a deal.”
The city and county “care about one thing — or mostly one thing — and that’s financial,” he said.
The contracts would continue to be ratified by the Metro Fiscal Affairs Committee, Kallas noted.
Testifying against the bill, Sabra Smith Newby, Clark County’s lobbyist, said under the amendment, “the person negotiating doesn’t pay the bill.”
The current government negotiating team includes Metro administrators and one representative each of Clark County and the city.
Negotiations for the next police contract will begin in 2010.
Any argument that police would get a richer contract under the arrangement is “ridiculous,” Kallas said. “It flies in the face of common sense.”
However, during testy negotiations in 2005 that ended up in arbitration, then-Sheriff Bill Young testified in favor of the union’s proposed pay increase, which was 3.75 percentage points higher than the county’s offer.
Lawmakers agreed with the union.
Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, said “the sheriff can certainly consult, and take who he needs, or she needs, when he does his negotiations.”
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said negotiating only with the sheriff, who he noted is an elected official, would “streamline that process.”
Kallas said recent negotiations illustrate why the change is needed. It took only five weeks as opposed to months to hammer out the one-year contract ratified by Fiscal Affairs in April.
The contract called for no net pay increase, but the county agreed to cover all, not just half, of a 3.5 percent increase in contributions to the state retirement system. (The base pay of a Metro recruit will be $49,196. Excluding overtime and benefits, the salary range for a Police Officer I is $51,164 to $72,826. A Police Officer II’s range is $56,390 to $80,265.)
Kallas said the latest negotiations went so smoothly because the union went directly to the sheriff and elected officials. “The only reason it worked was because we went outside the system,” Kallas said.
The maneuvering by the police union comes as the county and city have asked employee unions for concessions on pay increases to bridge their budget gaps. Clark County, which faces a $123 million hole, funds about 60 percent of Metro’s budget. Las Vegas, which pays the rest, is facing a $150 million shortfall over five years.
Commissioner Steve Sisolak, one of two commissioners on Fiscal Affairs, said having county and city negotiators at the table allows them to balance the police contract’s cost with other needs in government, such as child protective services and the Fire Department.
“I have the utmost respect for the sheriff and he knows his department well, but he doesn’t know what the other departments are doing or going through,” Sisolak said.
During the turbulent 2005 negotiations, the union requested a four-year, 25.6 percent salary increase, while the county sought a 21.85 percent increase.
The arbitrator, who chose the county’s offer, hinted it was more than fair because it exceeded the Consumer Price Index for the period. The decision saved taxpayers $17 million.
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Pay now or pay later. Later is here now. Police officers union has political stroke and it shows.
This makes as much sense as eliminating the legislature from the state budgeting process.
Where are the checks and balances? Where is the accountability? Transparency?
Shame on Senate Government Affairs. They just gave Metro a blank county/city check.
I am glad we have a governor that can veto this bill. How insane. To take those elected to only worry about one thing, OUR finances, and replace them with the department head is beyond stupid.
The Sherrif can set wages wherever he wants for his department and the city and county have to pay the bill? Someone has been bought and paid for by the union. Next do they just let the Sherrif set the tax rates as well? Do they allow the Sherrif to seize private assets to auction and pay his employees? Every member of the legislature that voted for this bill needs to be thrown out of public office for life.
What's the problem?
I support agencies which purchase cocaine, conduct military style residential break-ins, brutialize their detained suspects, while falsify documentation.
I support those that disregard public safety when operating 'our' motor vehicles maniacally upon our roadways while arresting those they nearly kill that attempt to save them from their own death.
I support those that incite senior citizens into murderous rages as an excuse to kill them.
I support our casinos, banks, stores and all business robberies that go without arrests.
I support those who imprison business owners attempting to defend their property by shooting thieves.
Who am I?
I am YOU the Clark County Chump merely seeking to purchase some fear, terror and additional Saddam Hussein style living-death upon my self.
Absolute power and all the gold our Sheriff wants for the taking!
Hip, hip hooray!
What's the problem?
Our nightmares turned into reality.
Maybe I'm missing something here. Who exactly do the Metro Police work for? County/City, right?
Article I, Section 15: "No ... law impairing the obligation of contracts shall ever be passed." This would include cutting the contract obligor out of their part of the contract, except for the part about paying.
Why not? Works for the Child Support Collection Machine.
Harley....please tell me how many times you have been arrested? And dont say none because of your anti police attitude on every post I KNOW you have been arrested on several occasions....you are one who is never at fault and the police constantly harrass you, please if you hate the police so much, next time you need them feel free not to call them, dont use 911 , dont ask for help, just sit there and be miserable and wait for the police to do someting to you that was totally not your fault AGAIN.
smoke14 -- I have a problem with people like you, the type who doesn't like what someone else says so you fabricate the accusations and insults then present them as facts. The reality is you know less than nothing.
Your post shows you are unclear on the concept memorialized in the Nevada Constitution, Article I, Section 2. The police work for US. It is every citizen's duty to watch then criticize government at every level for any reason. Maybe you like living in a police state. I am one who will not. Harley sounds like another of the same mind.
Either add something relevant to these Discussions or expect to be disrespected and ignored. Better yet just go away.
no killer...I HAVE A PROBLEM with people like Harley that lambaste the police and call them corrupt when we all know this is a lie...and when somebody defends them a liberal such as yourself jumps all over me....and to add to the dicussion..you are doing exactly what you accuse me of, insulting me, telling me to go away, because you dont like what I say...let me guess you voted for Obama...typical left wing talk...rip on others who dont agree with you, but then do exactly what you rip on me for...freedom of speach still exists...so you sir/or maam may go away if you dont like what I say
"I am YOU the Clark County Chump merely seeking to purchase some fear, terror and additional Sadaam Hussain style living-death upon myself."
HARLEY. LAS VEGAS SUN, 05/16/2009.
Ummm, er, ah...
Good God.
I agree...the check and balances have to remain.Everyone is accountable to someone or something.
Lets be logical here. All police and firefighters (a misnomer as 95% of their call are emt work which could be handled by Laidlaw) applied for their jobs their arms weren't twisted. if they were forced to take a 25% paycutt they would no problem. Where else are they going to find that kind of compensation in the real wprld, what else are they trained for? if they threaten to quit, let them there will be hundreds in line to replace them at 100k a year. Don't buy into the paranoia.
Remember 11 years ago when metro cop murdered caesars pace magician on Industrial? Lets see speeding straight on s curves, he was lucky he had bigger vehicle. This time poor cop didn't. Cop on in Industrial got sentenced to driver's training. Odd how history repeats itself. Some things never change, how very sad, if they did Metro officer would be alive.