City manager gets contract extension

Carson City Manager Linda Ritter got a vote of confidence Thursday when city supervisors extended her contract to 2009 with one alteration, a higher salary than she'd requested.

Mayor Marv Teixeira compared Ritter's salary to those of county and city managers in Sparks, Reno and Washoe County, who, he said, have two and even three deputy managers divvying up the workload beneath them, yet still make dozens of thousands more.

"Your work load in this organization is far, far superior to your counterparts," Teixeira told Ritter.

Pay for city and county managers in larger Northern Nevada governments range from $152,000 in Sparks, which has about 22,000 more people than Carson City, to $203,000 in Reno. In nearby Lyon and Douglas counties, which have populations smaller than Carson City, salaries range from $95,000 to $120,000.

Ritter had requested an amended contract that would pay her a flat fee of $115,000 a year. City supervisors changed it to $120,000 and passed it unanimously.

The old contract, which was set to expire next year, paid up to $120,000 but was laden with incentives. Last year, Ritter was paid about $100,000.

Ritter and some supervisors said they were uncomfortable with a bonus system they called "arbitrary."

"One of the bonus items was not the Waterfall fire and that consumed a great deal of Linda's time last year," said Supervisor Robin Williamson. "Things happen and we have to be able to respond to reality."

The new contract also provides a $3,600 a year car allowance, and the possibility for yearly cost-of-living raises to be decided by supervisors.

n Contact reporter Cory McConnell at cmcconnell@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.