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StumbleCounty could cut 530 jobs to solve budget woes
Published Friday, April 9, 2010 | 12:30 p.m.
Updated Friday, April 9, 2010 | 12:41 p.m.
Sun Archives
- County stands by UMC layoffs after heated debate (3-2-2010)
- County takes no action on priority panel’s suggestions (1-19-2010)
- Town hall on budget shows which side is which (1-14-2010)
- Committee on priorities: Lose UMC, make fire department cuts (1-7-2010)
- Clark County cost-cutting ideas center on salaries (12-30-2009)
- Clark County priorities panel meeting in Las Vegas (12-16-2009)
Despite more than two years holding jobs vacant and cutting expenses, Clark County officials said this morning that they still must cut 14 percent from the upcoming budget because of dwindling tax revenues. That, officials said, will inevitably mean layoffs.
A 14 percent cut equals $57 million -- the equivalent of 530 jobs.
Make no mistake, said Commissioner Larry Brown, layoffs are coming and when they do, he doesn’t believe they should be across-the-board, but based on priorities.
Brown wants county staff to incorporate suggestions from the Committee on Community Priorities, a citizens group that met last year to determine where cuts might come and which services might be outsourced.
But he also said he wants to reward labor organizations that have worked with the county by making salary concessions during the past year, and punish those that did not.
Within the last year, the union representing about 700 county firefighters has been repeatedly singled out for not working with the county to offer meaningful concessions. The union and management are currently negotiating a new contract.
Coincidentally, one of the top recommendations by the Committee on Community Priorities was to eliminate the Fire Department’s paramedic (ambulance) duties, which account for a majority of the department’s emergency calls, and transfer those duties to private ambulance companies.
The group also recommended outsourcing auditing and some functions of the District Attorney’s Office.
Chief Financial Officer George Stevens detailed the declining revenue for commissioners today, including how how a 14 percent cut would translate into 530 lost jobs:
- 307 service employees, including UMC staff, security and others ($25.2 million);
- 96 firefighters ($17.4 million);
- 77 non-union employees, which includes management and public information officers ($6.2 million);
- 14 attorneys ($2.3 million);
- two park police jobs ($210,465).
That the county would contemplate cutting so many firefighter positions – No. 2 as a group – would have been considered impossible a year ago. But much has changed in that time.
After the firefighters kept all of their salary increases last year and talks of concessions went nowhere, relations between the county and the union deteriorated. At the County Commission meeting this week, a Metro officer stood by because of threats Commissioner Steve Sisolak said he had received by phone.
The Sun also reported this week that a Las Vegas firefighter wrote on Facebook that she wanted to “shoot” Sisolak.
Commission Chairman Rory Reid condemned the threats as he asked the firefighters union to help the county solve its budget problem.
“This is not a game,” Reid said. “People’s jobs are at stake. The services that this government will be able to provide in the future are at stake. And I think that the threats that have been made to Commissioner Sisolak are irresponsible. This isn’t a school yard where you can throw sand in somebody’s face if you don’t like what they’re saying. This is serious business, we need to get through this together and I hope the firefighters use the same energy that they have been venting toward my colleague in helping us solve this problem.”
More information and recommendations about the budget will be made during upcoming County Commission meetings. The county is scheduled to adopt a final budget on May 17.
To view video of today's special commission meeting click here and select “video” on the line stating "SPECIAL MEETING - 4/9/2010."
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Or, all those making over 100k (ahem...Fire Fighters...ahem) could take a pay cut to a reasonable amount and thus lessen the budget burden across the board, but that just makes too much sense, doesn't it?
trim that fat.
Don't exempt any group of employees and cut the employees pay and benefits equivalent to the percentage of the budget shortfall. If the unions and/or employees resist, then layoff the corresponding percentage of employees to close the gap. The union will wise up because a few more rounds of layoffs will deplete their memberships and no memebers means no unions.
So, what's the problem? Lay off the 500 people. Just do it based on performance (or lack thereof), not seniority.
If everone working for the county took a pay cut there wouldn't have to be any layoffs.
Everyone knows union members don't take pay cuts, they simply screw their fellow members with less seniority. It's in the contract.
Suckers, all.
Interesting comment made by the two individuals on the board. Let me respond first by saying I am a firefighter who has been working for the city for eleven years. Let me also say I do not make 100k, I am fortunate to bring home around 55k annually. Let me also say to "smarter than you" , thank you for your support for me and my local hard working co-workers who put our lives on the backburner to serve the public.
Phoenixson, you are not the target of my comment, it was towards those making way more than they rate and those gaming the system. 186k is a little high, and that is the average. Now imagine how many jobs and programs (the ones that are worth a damn) we could save if people really stepped up and sacrificed (If you even call dropping the average from 186 to 100k in average salary a sacrifice) during this time of need.
Forth round of layoffs? The County is no worse than it was before the first round!
Remember flush twice it is your drinking water and the lake is low.
I was already laid off from the County over a month ago. I was with the County for almost 8 years. I never expected o get rich from the County, but I worked there for job security. Many of my former colleagues left when things were booming to make more money....I stuck with the County....again for job security, and that didn't even work out for me. The Unions will not open up the contracts for ANY negotiations. One union member was quoted as saying they would rather go through lay-offs than breaking down and making wage and benefit concessions. I myself was all for taking a pay-cut and a reduction where ever it needed to be done. But that did not take place. My department was so top heavy with managers it made me sick. But oh well. I'm not there anymore and have moved on to other things. They are laying-off professionals, people with degrees. Which is what that city needs to sustain itself and to diversify the economis base. I for one was not going to work in a casino, so I left the City, and many of my collegues who are still un-employed are looking to leave CC and Las Vegas as well. I sure hope that town can recover with cocktail waitresses, keno runners, fire fighters, and valet drivers because thats all thats going to be left in that town. God-speed Clark County, and Las Vegas for that matter.
Whose idea was it to permanently close the South entrance at the RJC? Fire that person.
Lay off 500 workers or 100 firemen.
I left the County last year for a private company because I saw the writing on the wall. I had alot of education and fantastic reviews but I was junior in the ranks to senior employees close to retirement who no longer really worked.
I have a steady job now with job security and good pay. I suggest all educated junior workers start looking for new employment before the axe falls.
Then the union will still have what they want, the senior employees will still keep their jobs and pay and the County will suffer from a lack of skill and productivity.
To phoenixson: This article is about the County and not the City.
Please take time to review salaries and benefits of the County fire.
Take home 55K huh? That means your gross is around 75-80K a year.
Stryker- Since you know so much about FF's union, ongoing negotiations, and the cuts every other dept. in the city/county has taken, please enlighten all of us as to the present status of our city/county.
Did you know there is no gaurantee that layoffs would not happen even if the FF's took an 8% cut, Oh, I'm sure you knew that.
Smarterthanyou, who else should be cut after the FF's?
Average firefighter $149,000 a year! Just lay off some of those and hire some $60,000 a year firefighters. Why make it so hard just cut the top heavy people and hire cheaper ones for the bottom and continue until such time as you have a surplus should be only about 220. Then you have a surplus and still the same amount of jobs and people working. Simple really and easy to do.
I couldn't agree more with VegasResident. Thats the way it came down in my department too. The fat cats that have 22+ years were lazy and really could care less about the quality of their work. They were just there showing up and doing what they needed and milking the system until retirement. Hope the County gets what they want.
530 positions is what's being discussed this year. Wait until the next round of cuts hit for 2011. The bottom line is taxes are always following the economy and there hasn't been an increase in tax revenues or certainly nothing forecasted that gives any hope for this year or next. Combine all this with an increase in taxes (it's coming folks) and I don't see Vegas recovering for quite some time.
The county needs to do layoffs of positions that
are related to growth and in positions where the
work load has been reduced. This will happen eventually, should concessions be taken or not.
It comes down to the commission and CC admin to
make the right decisions for the county, which up until now, have been lacking.
First: All paramedic calls should be handled by private ambulance companies. Second: All Fire Department personel should work eight hour shifts 5 days a week and be rotated between day, evening, and graveyard shifts. As well as work every other weekend. Very similar to how it works with nurses in the hospital. Eliminate all overtime. Have a staff of floating Fire Fighters to cover all the excessive call ins that the fire department has. Then since the fire houses will only be handling fires we can reduce the size of each fire house staff. If there is a big fire call in more stations. By doing so we should be able to eliminate about 350 FF positions saving the county approximately $63,437,500.00 each year. Also in the new contract wages would be frozen for the entire contract period.
No further layoffs will be needed.
Its sad to see anyone lost their job.
I think firefighter union should lose the most in this situation. If the firefighters won't budge, hire temporaries to do this job and put it under a different department. Stop catering to unions, who do not care for their employees, the public, or their state.
Simply fire all of them and start up a new agency without a union and put up new reqs. Call them Firefighter Engineers or what have you. Those who are dedicated and loyal fire fighters, who have the job because they want to do good, can apply. Since they have experience, they most likely will be hired first. This is ok.
It will also get them out from underneath the union.
Those who won't go for it - let them be laid off and have them look for a new job. There are others in Nevada who are athletic, smart, intelligent, and can apply.
In short - just fire all the firefighters and start up a new group. I hope the city is looking into this.
By the way - if Harry Reid - is upset about this have him give the firefighters stimulus money instead of giving money to such projects as building tunnels for salamanders to cross the road in Conneticutt. Where is President Obama when it comes to giving real people stimulus money to be employed instead of to silly projects.
Its time for Harry Reid to be unemployed.
O no
Read the FF contract, layoffs won't do a damn bit of good. They have to go by least senority for starters. Just who do you think is making the top-heavy money, the rookies? On top of that, anyone laid off must be the first re-hires if within 2 years.
The only hope we would have is to repeal the STATE law that says the County has to recognize collective bargaining for employees and then fire ALL the FF and then re-hire without a contract.
That is too painful and the transition period would be a disaster. As it stands now, the IAFF has the County by the short and curlys.
530 people. Too bad they could just cut 10 fire fighters and save more.
Privatize all fire departments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just by the observation of the Taj Mahal building unveils the mentality of fiscal responsibility of the Commission. Nil
96 firefighters ($17.4 million); That's an average of $181K per firefighter!!!
14 attorneys ($2.3 million); That's an average of $145K per attorney (less than a HS educated firefighter)
two park police jobs ($210,465). That's $105K per police officer (again a HS educated officer)
Obviously, the doctoral level attorneys are getting the short-end of the stick here!
vc - privatize all paramedic calls. It may look good on paper, but......What about motor vehicle accidents that ned extrication, (tools, training, etc.), or Haz Mat, or high-angle rescue, or trench rescue, or stuck elevators. What about the very heavy patients that your two cute little 100lb. AMR girls can't move off a bed to give CPR to.
The FD won't be able to help because they won't have the manpower anymore.
Oh, and don't forget when the private ambulance is the only game in town and decide they want more money or benifits......can you say STRIKE.
Nick, Nick, Nick........Your a genius. You need a new keyboard that types other words than the same rhetoric over and over. I guess you are a cut and paste master.
On a more macro level, perhaps it's time for some consolidation in the valley at large. The reality is that LV, NLV, HD and unincorporated CC (that's within the valley) is really a single urban entity and should possess a single set of Govt. employees and services. The savings in eliminating overlapping administrations and streamlining services would be substantial.
croc1, you and I disagree to a certain extent, but you do raise some good points.
Right now I think the biggest gripes I have are a) the County has idiots for contract negotiators, and b) the IAFF leaders are being incrediably short-sighted right now.
I think that you would agree with me that having more FF to prevent paying overtime would be a good thing overall. But the way that contract is writen it really does cost the County more money to do that. There is overtime pay for virtually everything, including training time away from the station. If the IAFF really wanted to protect the jobs of its members it would re-consider some of those clauses that make it so difficult to hire the number of people needed.
Personally, I think that the idea of allowing government employees to have collective bargaining is insane. But I don't see that going away anytime soon. So it really is up to the union members to recognize that they must compromise somewhere in order to keep the job security that public service is so (in)famous for.
Goodman should Obama how it is done.
For some odd reason everyone is talking about the F Dept. Get real. They will not loss any staff. No union will concede and all the layoffs will come form the junior newer workers that are front line at the County. So basically talking about the F Dept is a waste of time and typing.
The bottom line is that either the social parasites need to leave so we can cut services, or we need to cut services to the point that the social parasites go in search of greener pastures.
Thats a good point, wolf85023.....he really did SHOULD him.
I assume you meant SHOWED, and I'm not sure what he has showed Obama other then the fact that he threatened to fire everyone if they didn't make take paycuts and then he very quickly backed off that threat.
Yeah, he sure showed em!!
boftx - you are correct my friend. Hiring more FF's would absolutely eliminate OT. I did lose you though on the OT for training away from the station.
But when it comes to our union, I know you don't like it , but I do know that what you read in the media is incorrect. Our union is not perfect, but they are willing to make some concessions, but one reason they have not come to any agreements yet is because the city would not gaurantee there would be no layoffs even if we took the 16% over 2 years. This I do know for sure.
Croc: "What about the very heavy patients that your two cute little 100lb. AMR girls can't move off a bed to give CPR to."
Do you think that all EMT's and paramedics are "cute 100lb girls?"
Get off your high-yellow-ego-truck.
Slots - of course not all EMT's are cute 100lb girls, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone, that was not a very smart thing to say. All I meant is that many times it takes more than 2 people to move some of our patients.
Also, it is not my ego talking, it's just the facts.
Again, I apologize if I offended you or anyone, that was not my intent. I will try in the future to think a little more before opening my big mouth.
My own experience has been that the private ambulance attendants are indeed "cute". But having said that, I will admit that the FD techs are much better at inserting an IV in a moving vehicle.
Just in 2009 Obama's adminstration said that the "stimulus" would bring unemployment down to 7% by this time.
Reid, just the other day, say that the economy was recovering.
Are they liars or something?
Why would Reid and Obama lie to us?
What is going on?
If I'm reading that correctly, the firefighters are going to end up screwing 96 of their brothers and sisters by not agreeing to a reasonable pay cut.
Boy, talk about stubborn!
GooGoo, reading what?
just remember a private ambulance can LEAVE if their bottom line is not met. Scottsdale, AZ was left without an ambulance company because the bottom line was not met. IF (god forbid) Las Vegas comes under attack (WWIII anyone?) who do you think are going to be there? Private industries have a right to say "no, I am not going into that building that was just hit" public servants do not have that option. That is their job! There is no justifiable reason for firing people who are functioning citizens of society who take care of their families and contribute to the economy by buying HOMES and establishing themselves here for the long run. It takes a lot of courage to devote yourself to a cause not supported by the public. Spit on, shot at (does anyone remember that!)... be careful what we wish for and want...
if a private industry does not honor their contract, they can get sued for breach of contract, they can be sued for damages and liability, and they can lose a contract...which would essentially put them out of business.
i like THAT concept better than having a public-funded fire or ambulance department that sucks down tax dollars regardless of their response time, effectiveness, or fiscal responsibility.
I find it interesting that the county is preparing for a massive layoff, yet there is a job posting on their website for an Assistant County Manager.This is a top administration position. Why are they hiring a $150,000+ per year person during this time? Is this fiscal responsibility? Shouldn't the Administration be tightening their belt as they are asking the rank and file, as well as the community to do? This is sickening
Unions should not be allowed in public service jobs.Unions protect the dead beets and the older employee that do not perform. Every job promotion should be judged on performance and merit not longevity.I worked in a union steel mill for over 30 years and never had to use the union. I had other workers who came in late missed time used drugs and the union saved there job 90% of the time. They protect the bums.
You cant get rid of the FFs .. So just CHANGE there Work Week... put them on a 8 hour a day.. 5 day Work Week.. and have 3 shifts of FFs.. like the Casino have for there workers..This is the only way to get around the FFs union and save MILLIONS of DOLLARS..
will Goodman don't empress me. i am glad he didn't run for gov.
IMHO, unions were really needed back then when there were no laws to protect laborers. However, many laws have been established for laborers/employees nowadays. So, union is not really needed.
I used to work for a telephone company where high seniored employees were lazy and refused to learn and adapt to new technologies. As the revenues fall shorter due to less people using landline, all hard working and more educated young laborers left/laid off. Eventually, I see some of those telephone companies will fold hard.
Take a look at the auto industry.
Current union does not promote productivity and growth. That's a fact. This will be the fall of America.
privatize the fire dept.!
only time i see the fire dept. is at the super
market or the donut shop.
they all drive 2 ton oversize 4 wheelers and
think they're heros to las vegas.
i think they're a bunch of overpaid creeps!
Funny but croc1 and boftx who are both known FF, FF union, or FF supporters are still at it. I see them seconding each other on their comments and they still think we are buying it. Guys, look back at other FF related news and they are both active supporting each other.
Yeh lay everybody off and place us in a deflationary spiral-this is going to be the great depression 2. Paulsen saved stevems trust fund though !!!
Heh privitizing got us here in the first place.
Instead of pointing fingers at who. This is not one-sided. The firefighters are not the cause of the clark county budget woes. The city needs to find a way to tax and increase tax revenue. Nevada is at a stand still because the Nevada constitution does not allow Nevada to tax and increase revenue. This is not the CCFD's fault, so stop solely blaming them. It is the fault of our state constitution and the people who have been running the state. Privatizing public services makes zero sense to me because the private companies are going to be getting money from the state anyways. From previous articles since 2007 IAFF has been attempting to conclude an ongoing battle with the city. The union is protecting their union members. They would of taken the cut in pay raises. But they were not willing to take the salary cut and fire their union members. I don't see anything wrong with union actually doing their job.
I think the contract talks need to be opened to the public.
unclegig, you should go and read my post log. You are badly mistaken if you think I am a FF union supporter, or a supporter of any union.
unclegig - I've never tried to hide the fact that I am a FF. boftx and I are just respectful of each other and our opinions. Two people can disagree without name calling and acting like a child in the sandbox. I know it doesn't happen a lot on here, but it is much more productive.
I agree that elected officials have done a poor job with the tax structure, but firefighter pay is so absurd in this recession that I don't blame people for being up in arms over it.
Yet people like croc defend the firefighters on a position that is simply indefensible - like the tobacco execs insisting their product didn't cause cancer - because of their mutual windfall.
Croc said, "Our union is not perfect, but they are willing to make some concessions, but one reason they have not come to any agreements yet is because the city would not gaurantee there would be no layoffs even if we took the 16% over 2 years." As if this is supposed to assuage outrage of the average county resident - this benevolent, good-faith gesture, right?
Well, demanding guarantees of no layoffs in this economy is exactly the type of disconnect the populace feels with the firefighter mentality. Most have already experienced layoffs - either firsthand or by a family member - and have felt the belt-tightening of employers. I have barely survived several rounds of layoffs, have seen my 401k match disappear, wage freezes, etc. You do realize that even with a 16% pay cut, you're still out-earning the vast majority of the private workforce several times over?
And please, stop demonizing Sisolak for raising valid questions. You guys look your education level with the embarrassing facebook page and union intimidation tactics at his town-hall meetings. It just reinforces the idea that you have too much time on your hands while raking in taxpayer money that has all but evaporated.
530 lay-offs is hardly a scratch in the overall scheme of things. Talk to the business owner who has been forced to cut more than 70 percent of his staff just to keep the doors open. Unfortunately, union rules will prohibit them from getting rid of the dead weight first.
Here's a thought boys, stop signing up for overtime. Make them force hire you and then it won't be your "fault" that you're working overtime. The unfortunate part of that of course is that those who don't want the overtime will end up getting overtime, but then the ignorant public can stop complaining. Let's face it, the only reason firefighters make any money at all is because they work overtime. The base salary of a firefighter really ain't all that people!
Some food for thought especially to those pushing common sense and logic, how would laying off fire fighters even begin to help? We have too much overtime because there are not enough fire fighters to cover our areas. Cutting fire fighter jobs to have even less fire fighter equals the need for even more over time, ever heard of penny wise and pound foolish?
Changing fire fighters to 8 hour shifts is not sensible, look at your hospitals so much time is lost on shift changes ever try to get quality care during a shift change? Fire fighter the work the shifts they do for a reason, would you want in the middle of your emergency for the emergency personnel to stop what they are doing to fill in a replacement? Perhaps you would want them to stay and finish caring for you and your loved ones ahhh but then you have even more overtime.
As for the whole privatizing emergency calls oh yay, right to the ambulance companies who do not accept any insurance reimbursements and require you to pay cash? These same companies who are not required to ensure employees maintain a certain level of skill, training and care? No thank you. I know from personal experiences I will choose a trained yes trained college degree or not fire fighter over a private ambulance paramedic any day of the week should I or my family/friends need assistance.
I will grant all of you my experiences with fire fighters are not from Las Vegas, yet when my ex-husband was newly ill and recovering in our home instead of some horridly understaffed care facility, I was blessed to live down the street from a fire fighter. He had also made a choice to be a first responder, not for extra money but because he took pride in his neighborhood and wanted to be able to make sure we all had timely and appropriate assistance should the need arise.
At the time my ex had periods of confusion and would become combative not knowing who I was or where he was, not understanding he could not be allowed to drive and that his body was not functioning correctly. Even during long periods stability he could lose all sense of equilibrium without warning.
The first time this happened I met my neighbor. We had called for an ambulance as my ex had lost consciousness and had a head injury. The private ambulance personnel were about to leave and would not listen to my request and explanations that my then husband was not capable of making sound choices. He had refused care, deigning he was injured at all. The response was to shrug and say well if he doesn't want help we do not get paid enough to deal with this. My neighbor was on his way home and stopped. He quickly assessed my husband did in fact need to go to the hospital, was seriously injured (he had been riding a horse when a spell hit and was thrown) helped me to calm down and mellow out my husband and get his consent to be transported.
My husband had at that time been recovering from a stroke complicated by sudden onset of M.S., I had documentation that I was to make all his medical and legal decisions yet the private ambulance company refused to respect those documents. Had it not been for my neighbor a fire fighter my husband would not have made it through that first year. Any time there was a problem if he was off duty he was there; if he was on duty he was checking on us as soon as he got off duty. The gentleman was this way for all of his neighbors, because he had a vested interest in his community. It was his community, his home where his family lived. Good luck finding that with privatized companies and private ambulance companies.
It's a plain and simple fact firemen don't work much and make alot of money hanging around the firehouse. This is where cuts have to begin. There are 2 private firms already in place to replace the emt s
No amount of rhetoric will change these facts.
yellowjournalism
One can say the it is a fact the sky is green but honey that does not make it a fact.
It is fine to claim rhetoric but a tad shameless when you are spouting your own don't you think?