| REDRESS |
|
|
PAY RAISE, ETHICS BILLS ON FAST TRACK City Council to Vote on Measures Dec. 4 Reported in Las Vegas Review-Journal, 11-21-02, P. 12B Bills that would raise the salaries of elected officials and abolish the city's ethics code were pegged for fast-track approval Wednesday by the Las Vegas City Council. Normally bills are voted on a month after they're first introduced into the public record. But communications director David Riggleman said the fast-track process means the pay raise and the ethics ordinance will come for a vote at the council's Dec. 4 meeting. The ethics bill would effectively end the city's nine-year attempt at self-policing by abolishing the Ethics Review Board and letting ethics complaints be handled by the state Ethics Commission. City officials say the city code is unnecessary because it closely duplicates laws that are already in place at the state level. Sections of the city code that pertain to lobbying and political activities of public officials that are not written into the state statutes would be retained under the proposed bill. The pay raise ordinance would raise the annual pay packages of Las Vegas elected officials by more than $20,000 for the major and more than $15,000 for council members. Elected officials could not receive their new salaries or a car allowance until after they have stood for election. It would be the first time since 1986 that the City Council has voted itself a pay raise. But a provision in the 1986 law provides for cost-of-living increases, so salaries have grown considerably since then. Both bills were referred to the city's Recommending Committee where they will be debated on Dec. 2. | ||
|
||
|
| ||
|
| ||
