Carson City law enforcement labor agreements to cost $1.3 million

Law enforcement labor agreements approved Thursday by Carson City’s Board of Supervisors will cost city government in excess of $1.3 million more in coming years.

The bargaining agreements, the largest of which calls for 3 percent more regular pay this and next fiscal year for the deputies at the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, carries a price tag of more than $946,000, said City Manager Nick Marano. It covers the current fiscal year, Fiscal Year 2015 and FY 2016-17, when the boost drops to 2 percent, he said. That agreement and two others were approved after public hearings and with no dissenting votes.

“It puts labor items on hold for three years,” said Supervisor John McKenna, commenting in his final board meeting. “We can get back on track.” McKenna, who lost to Supervisor-elect Lori Bagwell in November, explained the three-year pact comes after a recession and during a recovery, so it gives city government time to move forward with such costs fixed and known in coming budget years,

Both McKenna and Marano said negotiations were tough and McKenna stressed neither side got everything sought, adding it is time to move on.

Details of the largest agreement forged with the Carson City Deputy Sheriff’s Association, according to Marano: for the first year, retroactive to mid-2014, regular pay goes up 3 percent for a cost of $170,845; next fiscal year, it increases 3 percent and costs $175,970, and in the final fiscal period of 2016-17 the raise is 2 percent and costs $120,865. Longevity pay and health coverage benefits swell the total considerably.

With the Carson City Sheriff’s Supervisory Association, which bargained on behalf of 13 sergeants, the agreement reached and approved will hit city coffers for more than $374,000 over four years through FY 2017-18. It also includes pay, longevity and health care costs.

The third pact reviewed and approved was two alternative sentencing officers after it was reached with the Fraternal Order of Police, Northern Nevada Lodge #8. It will cost the city $35,000 more and covers three years. It includes a 2 percent cost-of-living hike retroactive to July 1, plus merit pay based on the city’s Pontifex pay study, officer uniform allowances, bonuses and health coverage costs.

No one from the crowd testified during the public hearings that preceded the board’s votes, though several interested law enforcement personnel dotted the audience.

In other action, the board in its afternoon session renamed William Prowse to the city’s Audit Committee and Mark Kimbrough to the city’s Regional Transportation Commission.

At the beginning of the morning session, during public comment, the board heard from Linda Bellegray about Carson City’s second international film festival weekend set on the weekend of Feb. 5-7, 2015. She said the first was held in a church, but next year’s will be in the Bob Boldrick Theater at the Community Center. It is free and features a trio of films from New Zealand, Nepal and the Basque Pyrenees Mountain region of France and Spain.