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Thursday, May 24, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Metro Police asked to share budget
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KSNV coverage of North Las Vegas leaders ask Metro Police to consider sharing budgets, April 6, 2012.
The country may be healing economically, but local governments here are just beginning to fret about what’s to come.
No one wants to end up like cash-strapped North Las Vegas, which is contemplating suspending parts of the city’s contracts with unions to control costs.
But the very real fear that the separate governments of Clark County and Las Vegas don’t see a quick end to their depleted budgets became evident, police sources told the Sun, during closed-door talks Monday between Metro Police administrators and elected officials from the city and county.
The upshot: Neither the city nor the county want to give Metro any more money than is necessary. And with Metro facing a budget hole that could be as high as $68 million in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2013, the city and county do not want to have to fork over the millions more needed to fill that void.
So this is what happened:
During a closed-door session to discuss contract negotiations with Metro’s civilian employees union, sources said, Sheriff Doug Gillespie recommended 3 percent merit pay raises in the first year and 1 percent in the second year of a two-year contract. Seeing he wouldn’t get that, he switched to 1 percent and 1 percent.
Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie speaks during an editorial board meeting with Las Vegas Sun staff inside his office in Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2012.
Then came the surprise. The city’s two representatives, councilmen Stavros Anthony and Ricki Barlow, drew a line in the sand. They said no union merit increases, no benefits increases, no increases at all for a contract that would extend from July 2013 through June 2015.
Eyebrows raised. Barlow and Anthony are both fairly new to Fiscal Affairs, and no one expected either, especially Anthony, a former police officer, to object to the sheriff’s budget.
Their argument, though, was pretty clear. In the next two years, Las Vegas will start making some new bond payments; it has already set aside additional money for Metro in fiscal year 2013 (which begins July 1, 2012); and it will start making lease payments on the new City Hall. Those payments will grow to $13.4 million annually by 2017.
Meanwhile, the city each year has to come up with 40 percent of Metro’s budget that isn’t covered by self-generated revenues. That also means that if Metro needs additional dollars to eliminate a deficit, the city will need to come up with 40 percent of the department’s needs.
Metro’s budget hole is expected to be anywhere between $50 million and $68 million. That means the city would need to find an additional $20 million to $27 million. The county’s share would be an additional $30 million to $41 million because its share of Metro’s budget is about 60 percent.
Stavros Anthony
Adding to the county’s potential problems is another monumental money issue in 2014. That’s the year voters will decide whether to tax themselves again, renewing a 20-year-old, voter-approved tax that raises about $15 million per year for Fire Department operations and capital expenses. There’s a real chance voters could say no, given that many observers see firefighters in the midst of a public relations disaster tied to sick-leave abuse, firefighters’ relatively high wages and benefits, and county battles against the firefighters union.
Barlow and Anthony don’t represent a Fiscal Affairs Committee majority, sources said, but the three other Fiscal Affairs members — County Commissioners Steve Sisolak and Larry Brown and private citizen James Hammer — also appeared to be against increases.
Neither Sisolak nor Brown would comment about that closed-door discussion. Anthony and Barlow could not be reached for comment.
Sources said the sheriff said the union’s stance was that it had given concessions over the last three years, but now it’s time for some payback. Last year, the union gave up merit and longevity pay increases for one year, the third year in a row the union made concessions. (Union members did receive a 1.125 percent increase in pension contributions.)
Ricki Y. Barlow
That didn’t sway the Fiscal Affairs Committee members, however.
For years, Sisolak has harped that the time for concessions by unions was far from over, that the private sector was hurting as much or more than unionized employees and that tax dollars were far from peak levels of five years ago when all Nevada governmental units were flush with dollars from wild-eyed development.
“The problem is the county isn’t collecting more tax dollars,” Sisolak said Tuesday. “We’re still struggling.”
In part, political observers told the Sun, Metro dug its own hole by winning approval for sizable wage and benefits increases over much of the last three decades. The department’s budget, now about a half-billion dollars, increased 10 percent annually for 25 years until 2010. Complicating the situation even more is the sheriff’s promise not to lay anybody off during these tough times.
•••
Sisolak and Brown showed up about 10 minutes into the county’s special budget meeting Monday, late because of the unusually long Fiscal Affairs meeting earlier in the morning.
During the commission meeting, Brown looked concerned. He and the other commissioners approved the Clark County budget for fiscal year 2013. Before doing so, Brown hinted at what went on in Fiscal Affairs, and in doing so issued a warning about the future.
Brown said government views it as a “savings” if it grants public employees raises that are less than expected. The fact remains it is still a raise. Even smaller increases in pay add up. To keep paying those increasing wages, government must cut services or supplies to the bone.
“We’re giving employees pay raises and cutting back everything else ...” he said. “We start getting to the point where to balance the budget we cut ... priority needs.”
Brown applauded the county for cutting where it could (a county spokesman said it has eliminated 972 positions and laid off 422 full-time employees over three years), but he believes harder times are on the way.
“It’s going to hit us,” he said. “It’s going to hit us harder than even the tough times two or three years ago.”
WHy is there a closed door hearing? Can someone explain to me why?
Good for Barlow and Anthony!
this proud liberal democrat...
says...
screw the cops and firefighters...
no way in hell the average fireman should make 175k a year...
no way in hell...
the unions have run amuck...
and its time for some elected representatives to grow a frickin spine...
are you listening tom collins...
are you listening chris guinchiliani...
by the way chris...
your unconditional support of the unions is why you got crushed in your bid to be mayor...
got that chris...
screw the unions...
cut their pay...
cut their benefits...
and remember this...
birdie is a proud liberal democrat!!!
Why is a meeting about the spending of tax payer dollars held in private? Its time the police bit the salary bullet just like the rest of us! I have had no increase in my wages for the past three years and my salary and benfits have been reduced. Hats off to the two politicians with the guts to say no!
What nerve Sheriff Gillespie has in recommending merit pay increases for Metro's police officers.
How about demerit pay decreases? Now this sounds more reasonable. Recently, Sheriff Gillespie asked County Commissioners for seventeen million dollars in a one year period to potentially payoff civil lawsuits resulting from that of either alleged or proven officer misconduct.
How about a decrease in the officer's next contract to pay for this projected deficit? I bet the silent majority of police officers would no longer be silent concerning the civil liabilities some of their peers become, would they?
If metro would stop shooting people. They would have plenty of money. thanks Yant.
At a MINIMUM, Metro officers need to contribute to their retirements. Their pay should be REDUCED by at least 50% of their PERS contributions, instead of the taxpayers topping off their salaries with an additional 20-25% by covering all retirement costs. And where are those NEGATIVE COLAs? Let's get this moving so our economy can move. Let's cut until compensation is reasonable for employees of the City, County and School District. Come on. Commissioners are correct to NOT APPROVE ANY MORE CONTRACTS for more than one year unless there are significant concessions each year of the contract. We need to CUT PROPERTY TAXES. Let's work for a recovery, a housing recovery, a jobs recovery, a Citizen's recovery.
Put a 10% surtax on political contributions.
It doesn't appear the funds are there to support the request, but some of you have got to get over your hatred for Metro and further, isn't it about time the public employee witch-hunt ends as well?
Look around you Las Vegas, Metro is the only thing that stands between you and a complete take-over by the "seedy underbelly" that's evident on almost every corner.
We cannot spend every dime in projected tax revenues. We need some balances for end-of-year processes. We could also use some balances for contingencies--like slow property tax collections when foreclosures zip up again. And even with that, if we allocate all revenue, what do ya think is gonna happen next time? Maybe next time it's a more minor recession. But employees will have had merit increases, COLA's and be expecting even more saying they've "sacrificed" for 5 years. Adjust your mind set. Tax rates should not ever need to be increased. Rates are excessive now but even so, if you consider that revenue goes up or down with the economy, government's revenue to budget will go up or down with the economy. Government does NOT NEED more revenue when the economy goes down. Might need more for EBT food stamps but much less for building permit staff and other things. So let these highly paid public SERVANTS service the public need, not employee "needs".
Our Police and Fire Dept's are now holding us hostage. The only control we have may not be popular in the political arena, but, numbers can't lie. Finally, good for Barlow and Anthony. Do the right thing.
I encourage citizens getting a conceal carry permit. Learn the basics in residential fire fighting and prevention. Volunteer in areas you can and yes, let us take back our own communities. We have a police dept. that can't handle or care to handle the small stuff. You have an incident, it may take them more than a day even to get paper work done.
Common sense has left the buildings. I really wonder how Zappo's will handle their new building in 2017 for 13.4 million p/y. Dang it, so much of this is not sustainable in great economies. HELP
Clark Couty can afford half a million bucks to pay for a family court administrator to mismanage and harass staff......... but can't afford to give our public safety staff a meager 1 percent?
Police and Fireman unions present the perfect case for union busting...greedy sob's that think they are entitled to God status
Unless you're lucky enough to change employers, nobody has been seeing a salary increase in the last 4 years. Why should state employees be any different than the private sector?
Roberta is right. Pensions are a joke. Every government employee should have a 401k, with a matching 3 percent.
We comprehend that the Sheriff is representing his foot soldiers and doing an extraordinary job. It is the job of our Commissioners to say no. To say no now and in the long term. Former Commissioners seem to never have learned that word, "NO." psst: Mr. Wayne: Metro is City / County and local government pay scales are mucho more excessive than State salaries, except for the teachers who could be considered quasi-state employees. And you are correct in that the State Legislature approves local government budgets.
Metro Police are not State employee's they are County Employee's. State employee's have had merit increases and everything else frozen for more than 4 years and do pay their retirements under one of two pay systems. One being a reduced salary and the State pays the retirement or an increased salary and the employee pays also incurring additional federal tax burden. ONLY State employee's have this option. All other agencies by NRS are required to pay the employee's retirement into PERS. Taking this into account and the fact County employee's make more than State employee's outright, the difference in pay is no small thing. Please do not mistake State and County employee's as being the same.
The Las Vegas area has the highest unemployment in the nation. Those who find themselves lucky enough to have a job do so only because they are underemployed at $10/hr.
Seeing the money isn't there to pay them Metro suggests cutting other services. No, cut Metro services.
"Look around you Las Vegas, Metro is the only thing that stands between you and a complete take-over by the "seedy underbelly" that's evident on almost every corner."
A recent poll showed Las Vegas citizens are far more worried and afraid of Metro than the thugs on the street. Tourists exist in a state of of fogged ignorant bliss.
Metro has only itself to blame.
Cognastics,
what poll says that people are more scared of metro compared to criminals?? the poll you made up in your head?? and for all the people that whine about the Sheriff, you are the people that elected him again...you only have yourselves to blame...or maybe some of you couldnt vote because you are felons hating on metro..not you bchap since you were a corrections officer back in the day in prolly some small town with a population of 10 people...
When I counted 12 Metro officers at a CHILD SAFETY SEAT CHECKPOINT (what happend to the 4th ammendment?) a few months ago on Stewart Ave. I knew then it was a waste of resources.
Between cell phone "sting operations" and "child safety seat checkpoints" I would say Metro is overstaffed.
It's time to face reality and trim the fat.
We should be reducing the size of the police and fire departments to fit the budget, and the match the actual population as opposed to the projections of a few years ago. Also, remember that the police insisted on a .25% new piece of the sales tax a few years ago, even after the city and county were in financial trouble.
They have become overpaid relics of an employment model that no longer exists in America for 99% of employees. Virtually no one can get a fixed retirement payout after only twenty years on the job. Endless paid sick days, and many vacation days. In fact, many just change to a different public agency to continue a full paycheck and a lifelong retirement.
It is time to bring everyone into the employment realities of the new USA.
How much has metro had to pay in settlements to families over the past year? Maybe metro should stop killing people and their wouldn't be a budget deficit.
"The upshot: Neither the city nor the county want to give Metro any more money than is necessary."
C'mon Commissioners -- chop-chop!
Have a peek at what can happen @ http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/in...
"Government . . . an illusion the governed should not encourage." -- John Updike "Couples"
Metro and the City got pumped and dumped by the same RE sharks who worked over homeowners the last 7 years. $13 million for lease payments on the city hall building? No wonder the developer put a rainmaker light attraction on the side of it.
Did Metro need the building on MLK? doubt it.
Sorry Metro you spent the money, enjoy your offices.
I actually think we should be asking public employees for a NEGATIVE COLA. Houses cost half what they did a few years ago. I would like to split the differece and ask for say 25% giveback!
People please read the article again. It is NOT police officers that are requesting more money it's the support staff behind them. "During a closed-door session to discuss contract negotiations with Metro's civilian employees union.."
To give you all a little backgroud, civilian employees have not only NOT had any increases of any kind but over the past 3 years have taken a 3% cut each year. While other county, city and state employees have continued to have either their merit increases or cost of living or both.
Last fiscal year when Metro had an end fund balance the County took that money and paid their own employees. Metro's civilian employees are tired of paying everyone else's salary with the money that they give up. They are tired of being the only union that continually gives up more money and benefits then everyone else. It's the first time in 3 years that the civilian employees are asking for anything.
I suggest we honor the contract as written, but make it completely clear that when the current contract is up -- everything is on the table.
Here is one police Officer's pay for 2011:
Salary: $79,780.00
Overtime and callback pay: $32,388.40
Other pay: $15,869.98
Benefits: $44,146.90
Total Pay package: $172,185.28
I can't quibble with the salary.
The overtime and callback time is absurd and needs to be addressed by both parties. If overtime is over 10% of any 10 officers salary new hires should be brought in.
"Other Pay"? this needs to be reduced to less than $1000 per officer, if it has any 10 officers in any year earning $8,000 or more new hires should be brought in.
Benefits of over $44,000? Did we solicit the highest bids or the lowest bids for this? Give a menu of benefits available and the costs applied to each item, and cap the benefits plan to 30% of your salary. Want a 5k deductible and go heavy on retirement planning? Have a ball.
Now you can have COLA
Your union was too effective and there needs to be a reset.
So reydogirl, what do the support staff grunts make? Let's get this whole sorid thing out in the open. Let's compare paychecks shall we?
If Jeff is to be believed, Cops make in benefits alone what most workers in this county make as an average total wage. I would be interested hearing from those who think cops are not ridiculously overpaid. Considering the amount taxpayers shell out every year to fix their mistakes.
Jeff, good info. Concise and relevant. LEO's should be well compensated, but that would be the case at HALF the price. So to get there from here, pay cuts of 10% a year? Note that much of the benefits are the retirement that is NOT in their "salary". Almost all of the rest of the world has a gross salary with retirement taken out and maybe matched by the employer--not all of it paid by the employer (us). If politicians refuse to deal with reality, how about a new classification so any and all new hires (and promotions) would be into the new classified positions that have REASONABLE pay scales. p.s. The civilian support staff is just as overpaid as other City and County em0ployees. NO RAISES unless you're into negative numbers.
Let's take the "If Jeff is to be Believed" out of the equation:
http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/la...
Alright Stephenrblv I'll tell you that majority of support staff grunts as you call them make less then what an officer makes in overtime. I have a relative who is one of those grunts, has worked for the department for over 12 years, has a college degree, working on a Masters and makes about $35,000. The grunts, are dispatchers, call takers, report takers, forensic workers, CSI's, and yes secretaries. The ones who take crime reports, fingerprint convicted felons, enter reports and are the backbone of Metro so that the officers can go out and do their jobs.
I repeat they are the only public employees in the State that have not only had pay freezes but gave up $$$ towards retirement, pay more towards their health care, no COLA, no Merit AND gave up 3%. They have given up positions and are doing more with less like everyone else who is not a public employee. They are tired of everyone else taking while they are the only ones to keep giving.
Oh and civilian employees aren't the ones getting in car accidents, beating the public or shooting anyone. Plus they pay taxes too so they pay into their own salary. How many of you pay towards your own salary?
And just to make sure everyone is aware Metro's money comes from property taxes so if you don't own a home you are NOT paying their salaries.