Las Vegas City Staff See $100,000+ Pay Packages

It’s not only gamblers who lose their money in Sin City – taxpayers are on the hook for large compensation packages for public employees.

There were 2,037 city employees collecting at least $100,000 each in 2021, costing taxpayers $314 million, OpenTheBooks.com reported.

“While 30-percent of residents were unemployed during the pandemic, and, today, inflation decimates private-sector paychecks, the Las Vegas city employee class is living the good life,” OpenTheBooks found.

Two city managers alone cost $768,598.

The first city manager, Scott Adams left the position in November 2020 after being paid $443,622 – $243,079 in base salary; $117,740 in severance pay; and $82,803 in perks, health insurance, and pension benefits.  

Then new city manager Jorge Cervantes earned $324,976 – $227,278 in base pay, plus $97,698 in perks, health insurance, and pension benefits.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman’s pay and benefits total $215,705 — $156,205 in base pay, plus $45,690 in pension and $13,810 in health insurance benefits.

Each of the six city council members cost taxpayers an average of $122,000 each – including $25,000 in taxpayer-paid pension benefits.

Even seemingly low-paid employees made out with high salaries. Parking enforcement officers collected up to $110,000; motor sweeper operators cleaned up with $124,000; painters and plumbers were paid $140,000; animal control supervisors got $158,000; and corrections officers cost taxpayers up to $212,434.

Part of the city employee largess is due to overtime, OpenTheBooks.com auditors found.

There were 614 Las Vegas public employees who took home between $10,000 and $120,000 in overtime alone in 2021.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com

This article was originally published by RealClearPolicy and made available via RealClearWire.