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StumbleLayoffs coming as part of county budget fix
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Steve Sisolak
Sun archives
- County layoff notices just a ‘prelude,’ commissioner says (5-29-2010)
- Officials opt for quick fix on county budget (5-18-2010)
- County could cut 530 jobs to solve budget woes (4-9-2010)
- Horrible county budget outlook worsens, tough decisions loom (1-20-2010)
- 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)
- ‘Longevity pay’ costs millions in county (12-10-2009)
- UMC’s financial condition spurs talk of sale (11-27-2009)
- Layoffs should hit poorly run departments, Collin says (10-4-2009)
- Experts to advice, provide cover, on cuts (8-30-2009)
- Shortfall looms large as fire union holds out (4-23-2009)
- No concessions yet from firefighters (4-12-2009)
Clark County will lay off 109 employees shortly after the Fourth of July, the result of further efforts by county officials to balance the budget. Another 50 part-timers will also lose their jobs.
The layoffs follow attempts to determine potential savings from ongoing union contract negotiations and assessment of reserve funds.
A county memo obtained by the Sun states that 260 positions will be eliminated. Of those, 109 are filled, while the others are open positions that will not be filled.
The employees who will lose their jobs will be notified by June 18.
The move will save the county about $28 million in general fund expenses, which are expected to total about $1.3 billion in the upcoming fiscal year. (The rest of the county’s $6.2 billion budget comes from operational fees, such as those paid by airlines to the airport or by developers for permits and inspections.)
The jobs to be eliminated are: 11 from the assessor’s office; seven from business licensing; two from the clerk’s office; 14 from the commission/county manager’s office; three from Comprehensive Planning Department; one from the coroner; three from the Fire Department; eight from Parks and Recreation Department; one from the public defender’s office; two from the public guardian; seven from Public Works Department; 20 from real property management; four from the recorder’s office; and four from Social Services Department.
Another 27 targeted jobs are nongeneral fund positions — paid through fee collections, not taxes — in the Air Quality Management and Public Works departments. Five are open positions that won’t be filled.
In the memo, County Manager Virginia Valentine wrote that more than 500 general fund jobs have been eliminated or held open in the past two years. She expects the effect on services to be minimal for most departments “as the majority of eliminated positions are either vacant, are in departments that have experienced a decrease in workload, or provide services internally to the county.”
Valentine said some internal changes taking place, such as the shift of some firefighters into a rotation of “relief staff” to fill in for other firefighters who are absent, will save millions in overtime expenses. Those changes are expected to save $5.5 million in overtime payments in the coming year.
Even with the layoffs, the county still faces a roughly $19 million deficit over the next 12 months.
How does it expect to fill it?
“That’s going to come from (union) concessions, and if it doesn’t there’s going to have to be more job losses, I think,” Commissioner Steve Sisolak said. “The time has come for people to stop posturing and act.”
The two major unions negotiating with the county are the firefighters union, which represents about 700 people, and the service employees union, which represents about 9,000.
Because personnel costs consume 60 percent of the county’s general fund budget, those negotiations are the key to long-term savings. The emphasis over the next 12 months, too, will be on long-term savings because next year’s budget is looking much bleaker than 2010-11.
Valentine pointed out that $128 million in “one-time money” — capital fund and reserve fund transfers mostly — won’t be available in 2011-12.
“That’s why it’s so important to get concessions now,” she said. “Now we have a structural deficit and to fix that problem, we have to reduce our expenditures in a way that recurs, which is through layoffs and concessions.”
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Instead of ridding our county of illegal aliens whose presence here is costing the county hundreds of millions of dollars a year, our commissioners feel its more american to take middle class american jobs away from the citizens.
Why didn't our commissioners step up to the plate and order a paycut for all our the county employees including themselves to help with the deficit? Oh, I get it now, as long as they keep their job and level of pay it's O.K.
Pathetic!
So the county workers and FF must make up the budget shortfall while Metro, who has 5000+ employees gives up no wages, has no layoffs, and is then praised for being so helpful? Why aren't they being blamed for causing layoffs by not taking a paycut like city and county workers? Police union must be way stronger than the fire union.
The commissioners voted for no pay raises, but did they offer to take a pay cut as well? No, of course not! Are they then not responsible for the layoffs as well?
If the county truley wanted to save jobs and they were in the hole they say they are, they would spread the paycut EQUALLY among ALL employees, not just a select few.
more good folks lose their jobs...
unemployment is already over 14%...
foreclosures are still running rampant...
and yet...
and the average fireman makes 180k...
that will destroy a community...
that is OUTRAGEOUS!!!
Crusty(birdie), you're exagerating just a bit, aren't you?
Channel 8 posted All taxpayer funded salaries....including Metro which TransparentNV never has.
http://www2.8newsnow.com/salaries/search...
Intereting to see who has the highest base pay, which goes toward retirement. Overtime does not go toward retirement pay.....another reason it's cheaper than hiring more people and why the city and county have been doing it for so long.
But keep looking over here at the shiney ball and don't pay attention to what's really going on.
hey fremmasmind...
how so???
This is a NO BRAINER...and if they can't see that then they don't belong in those positions.Immediately, pay freezes across the board, no exceptions.This coupled immediately with a freeze on promotions. While you have serious talks going on you can't have people being promoted and salaries being increased before the BOOM is lowered. This always happens when people smell sharks in the waters.I agree,they gotta get tough and step up to the plate.These are unusual times,even for Nevada.
How stupid is this town, we have money to put decorative rock and fancy metal work on US95 and we are taking peoples jobs, this town really is run by a bunch of jack-asses.
W"hy didn't our commissioners step up to the plate and order a paycut for all our the county employees including themselves to help with the deficit?"
"This is a NO BRAINER...and if they can't see that then they don't belong in those positions.Immediately, pay freezes across the board, no exceptions."
----------------------------------
You both do not get it.
They cannot freeze salaries or cut salaries as that is part of the contract that has to be negotiated. To do either is a breach of contract which will result in a lawsuit costing more than anything they could negotiate.
Other than layoffs, County Commissioners have no authority to impact pay, COLAs, etc. All they can do is layoff people. Everything else is controlled by the union contracts.
hey vegas resident...
those unions either get real now...
or when it comes time to re-negotiate those contracts...
you say sorry folks...
when we needed your concessions you played hardball with us...
and now that the contract is up...
we are going to play hard ball with you...
one word...
outsourcing...
bye bye jobs...
and let's be frank...
where the hell is someone like a fireman without a college degree going to find a job...
NOWHERE!!!
Why doesn't the county do what it always does and simply steal more of its social wealth through additional taxes and fees to fill these budget holes threatening the compensation growth of their employees?
Aren't all such county budget issues politically solved through social theft - or - is that how they're created - ?
I don't recall - do you?
: {
You're funny, birdie. Where's croc? He always says there are plenty of places to eliminate waste other than the fire dept. Looks like they're doing that. FF's have plenty of time to watch soap operas while drinking their Starbucks coffee. They may have noticed that Deidre Hall got laid off from Days of Our Lives and Eric Braeden left in a budget dispute but came back with a lower salary to Y & R. That should tell them something--nobody's job is safe. If Deidre Hall can get fired, then anybody can.
I just like everyone else is infuriated by the salaries some of these government workers make. But what you should be mad about is that half of them weren't qualified to be hired when they were, and subsequently have gone on to make these enormous salaries! You can thank that to the "good ole buddie system". What furthermore is a tradegy, is in the overall scheme of things, "a job" is better than no job. So you have to take a cut in pay--take it, because if you don't, you to could be on the chopping block. How can county honestly think there wages are sustainable when 1) there's no money, and 2) you have people pulling salaries that aren't qualify to pull them? The first approach should be get rid of the "dead weight" and those "managers" who are protecting them. We're going through an economic time where "the rubber is gonna have to meet the road". This econimic situation needs to be approached like a business, and not with enuendo. I give Steve Sisolak major koodos for standing up and saying to everyone in LV and the County, "Hey folks, it is what it is". You can't blame the current group of commissioners for the problems the county is facing. Go back..remember Erin Kenny, Dario Hereras and company? If they had been taking care of the "people's business, and not their own personal business, we might not be in as bad a shape as we are.
And as far as the illegals, OUR government let them in..oh remember George Bush? As president, he did nothing for years, and look what's happened. When you mis-treat a race of people for personal gain, you pay the piper! And AMERICA, that's what we did. What we need to do is ENFORCE our policies that are on the books. The governor of Arizonia has BALLS..maybe some of the influential congressmen in the country should call her, and see if she can get them a pair!
Chunky says:
Firefighting is a tough and dangerous job, they risk their lives every day.
BUT... Chunky thinks firefighting used to be a work of passion and "public service" but now it has become a gravy train. They're making 4-6 times average wage in Nevada and have such flexible schedules some of them are moonlighting second jobs and side businesses. Good for them, bad for us!
They deserve a good wage for an honest days work and more for the hazards they face but not the numbers I've seen posted here. When residents are suffering and governments are cutting back it's pretty brazen for the firefighters to keep their face in the trough.
Chunky also asks what the heck happened to government in the open and transparency to the allocation of our hard earned tax dollars? Secret meetings and negotiations? Elected officials unable to oversee the contracts and negotiations? Who was asleep at the wheel or had their palms greased when that was decided?
In lean times we need lean responsible budgets for companies, households and government!
Chunky
only 3 from the fire department, not one from the police force, nothing from education and its those agencies that have union protection that is causing all these others to lose their jobs.If you do a rough calc, the average pay of 260 people at a $28 million savings is $94k a year.wtf. I wonder if that includes their total package. Insurance, raises,and retirement. You can thank FF,cops and teachers for the 109 people who will lose their jobs and the 151 who will not be hired at all and probably more to come.Then they will target state employees for a third time.The counties have got to stop paying these peoples retirement portions. The state pays a large portion and the county picks up the rest and the employees pay zilch. Make these people pay into their own like the state employees have to.
I forgot to ask, if FF work so hard and risk their lives every day protecting us citizens, why is it that the real heroes who risk their lives daily, sleep in dirt, eat rations, are away from their families for months and years at a time,don't get to go to the gym, don't get to go grocery shopping daily make about 1/3 of what fire fighters make?
TAXPAYERS SHOULD DEMAND THAT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TAKE A LOOK AT ALL BASE SALARIES THAT TOP $200,000 PER YEAR. You shouldn't get rich being in government, however you should be able to be a middle class citizen with job stability. If your a high executive or manager in local government, and you want to get rich, then I suggest you move to the private sector. The County Manager should be the highest paid employee in the county and that position should only pay $200,000 per annum. COO, CFO, Firefighters all under that, with no OT. If the size of the county dictates that a manger make more money, then there needs to be less management and more accountability in the department head positions.
Let's lay off a couple of Commissioners too. Sisolak, you go first.
lipton, that question is for your federal government, I believe we are discussing county jobs.
"3" from the Fire Dept. ???? GET REAL !!!
ok after all is said and done $19 million is still needed....how about firing another 4 firemen?
So the overpaid fire fighters skate again,must be poltical clout.
It sure is lehigh, vote them all out.
fremmasmind, the whole point of that question is to bring attention to the whiners and criers that insist they deserve every penny they recieve because they protect and save lives daily. I do believe my question is very appropriate for the discussion of ff pay in our counties. Deal is, their outragious payscale cannot be rationalized with the excuse they give. Same can be said for teachers. They claim they can't teach our kids with less in their paycheck and our kids will suffer. Do you see the excuses they use are geared to guilt us into paying higher prices whether its jobs, payroll cuts or higher taxes bought and paid for by you and me and every other Nevadan.I can't speak for the rest of you but, I'm not buying into it.
@ lipton- This is a first, but I couldn't agree with you more. Those heros fighting for us deserve to make a hell of a lot more than they get now. They are true heros.
-----------------------------
Babyboomer- It is obvious that you just hate fireman. It has nothing to do with salaries or anything else. With that said, all of your input is biased and your posts are without merit. Emotionally charge without any intelligent thought or common sense........ But don't let me stop you.
croc, they do! The point of the arguement is... If govt deems our heroes payscale appropriate for the jobs they do, and the conditions with which they do it in, would FF be willing to have their pay reduced to that same amount?
Lipton the fact that our soldiers weren't drafted and chose to go into the armed forces tells me they agreed with the payscale. I agree that they deserve more but this is how it is.
A fire fighter chose his profession also.
If you people don't agree with their payscale or their hours they work, talk to your politicians to change the pay scale. This constant whining from grown adults has got to stop. Jealousy is a pathetic emotion and should not be practiced by adults. Better yet those of you complaining why don't you try out for a firemans job. It is just as hard as bootcamp in the service. A majority of you aren't man enough to even apply, I think that is where the girly boy complainers are coming from.
My hats off to all the firefighters in the Vegas Valley. Keep up the good work brothers!
fremmasmind, have you been asleep? This whole issue of ff payscale has been in the press for months. People have told their politicians how absurd the whole thing is, and in the way of that is their union. which adults do you consider the whiners? the ones who say they deserve that inflated pay because they "save lives" or the ones who pay for those inflated salaries and are sick of it? or the ones who have and will lose their jobs or recieve further cuts to their pay because ff think they deserve what they recieve more than the next guy who lost his job or the one who got his pay cut because of them? Its not called jealousy, its called disgust.
I agree disgust in the way adults are whining about FF wages. These men have been making the same scale for years and no one has complained about it. Up until recently where our economy has tanked all of a sudden they make too much money. Pathetic if you ask me.
Lipton, you and birdie and the whole lot of you are sad, very sad. Try and find another sport beside FF bashing it is not a manly thing at all to act as a juvenile complaining about something you can't fix. Especially doing a job alot of people wished they had.
Again kudos FF's!
exactly. these guys have been making way above the normal for years, and now our economy and our state budget can no longer support them. So how is it ok for them to continue to make what they make with the benifits they get when other public service has to take cuts to help support Nevadas struggle? So what you are saying is, others need to lose their jobs, hundreds need to take dramatic pay cuts, all so these ff can continue in the same fashion as when we were fat and wealthy.
there are several hundred who will have to adjust their households, whether they lost their jobs or recieved pay cuts, all so ff can continue to live in the lifestyle they have grown accustom to. so much for the community togetherness and spirit, only so long as there are givers and takers right?
I for one, resent the fact I have to take a 15% cut in my salary, with more coming and the union rep for all these guys argue that they can't live on $55,000.00 a year, they have mortgages and bills to pay and families to support. wtf. the rest of public service must adjust, but ff whine and cry they can't.
I also forgot to add that yes, our heroes did go into the military voluntarily knowing what the pay was, theres the difference, they didn't do it for the money nor how much they could screw the system, they did it out of pride and honor for their country and the people of it, they don't use that as an excuse to recieve more money.
What do people do with a pathetic used up lipton tea bag? They flush it!
Grow up lippy, you can go ahead and complain about something you can't change for the rest of your life, you'll go gray, then lose your hair.
Complain, complain, cry, curse, etc. Someday you'll grow up and realize you have been wasting you time.
Are you waiting for your comrades to comment
"Oh Lippy we totally agree with you we must some how save society from the firefighters".
Why not complain about the ambulance drivers, the politicians, the professional atheletes, etc.
Why do you feel that the FF are the only ones that need to be bashed? Because you are a follower, not a leader. Yes I have been following this pathetic bashing since the begining and have just recently seen your tea bag name show up. What, is your life so boring that your only form of entertainment is bashing firefighters? Grow up and get mad at our government for allowing drilling for oil in the gulf of Mexico, I'll be on you side then. Take a chill pill and peace out!
Do I call you fremmy now!!!we've passed intel and moved to knife jabs. Do you dems go to school for this? No my life isn't boring, I am pro active for the betterment of my community and my neighbors. You really honestly think the govt pushed the drilling further out into the ocean? hhhmmm, maybe you need to go back to school. Somehow, I'm sure Bush will be blamed for it. I wasn't aware that pro athletes pay came from the states general fund or was part of the state budget. Ambulance drivers paayscale is no where near ff and not in question as being a liability to our state or our budget.
Way over your head, you need a ladder. Lippy the lion and Hardy har har. You still don't get it. I'm done you immaturity, kicked my butt. Keep arguing because you'll find your self arguing with yourself. Hopefully you'll grow up someday, doubt it. You've got the whole floor now lippy, enjoy!
I see, its way over my head, but you don't have an answer!!!just name calling and belittling. what a waste of time you have been.
I know I am not buying a home in Vegas now with your union Gov salaries. 250K for a city employee? That is double a BSEE and MSEE's salary in Rocket City, USA. Yes, I know BSEE's and MSEE's with 15-20 years with the same high tech company, who do not make over 120K. Your housing market sucks. Be glad to have a job. Take a cut.