The County Commission wants to bury this study that they commissioned. We won't let them. This is the story we reported on February 4th.
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White Pine County employees are being paid well below market rates, according to a new compensation and classification study.
KELY Radio has obtained a copy of the report commissioned by the county. The independent review found county wages average about seven percent below comparable public employers across Nevada, with some departments falling much further behind. Human Resources pay was more than 30 percent below market, while Emergency Management and Fire Protection were each nearly 20 percent under market rates.
The study reviewed pay for 154 employees across 89 job classifications and found no positions paid above market levels. Consultants say the gaps are contributing to recruitment and retention challenges.
To address the issue, the report recommends phased salary adjustments totaling about 922 thousand dollars, with no wage reductions proposed. The largest increases would go to positions currently well below market and those affected by wage compression.
At the January 14th County Commission meeting, Commissioners approved a 2% cost-of-living increase for elected officials on a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Vogler and Pauley voting no. Included in the Cost of Living increase was approval of the Legislative-approved 35% increase in pay for commissioners from $24,513.60 to $33,660. But Commissioners opposed a similar increase for rank-and-file employees on a 4-1 vote, with former Commissioner Janet Vancamp voting no.
County leaders will now decide whether and when to implement the recommendations, weighing budget impacts alongside workforce stability, or even acknowledge the study they themselves commissioned!
Decide for yourself - click here for the study!
And during closing public comment, the County Commission "accidentally"skipped White Pine Treasurer Catherine Backaric who was waiting to make Public Comment. While we aired CBS News, I called Catherine and offered her the opportunity to make her comment over the air - and she agreed. Listen below.