Sparks goes Carson City Supervisors one better on budget cutting
Facing a budget shortfall about half of what Carson City faces over the next two years, Sparks City Council members say they will cut their own pay just like they've asked city workers, including police, fire fighters and their engineers that their pay be cut 7.5% each year for the next two years. Meanwhile, Carson City Supervisors have laid down the law that there will be layoffs in both the Sheriff and Fire Departments although the deputies labor association says it would prefer furloughs or pay cuts instead. There's been no mention by the Superivsors that their own pay should be cut. Supervisors are paid on a part time basis, each Supervisor earning a little over two thousand dollars a month. Mayor Crowell makes a little more. However, City Supervisors have told City Manager Larry Werner to re-approach the city's labor associations to see if there is any interest in furloughs and pay cuts rather than resorting to layoffs.
Sparks City Council members say if they're going to set an example for the city and on behalf of the city, they themselves should take a pay cut. So that's what they're doing. But by law they can cut their own pay only one year at a time.
Since 2007, Sparks has lost an estimated 200 employees through layoffs, early retirements and other reductions resulting from the recession which has choked city revenues.