Las Vegas city manager gets bonus, pay raise to about $266,500 a year

Las Vegas City Council members publicly heaped praise on City Manager Betsy Fretwell as part of her annual review Wednesday, and granted her a raise and a bonus.

They gave her a 2.5 percent base salary increase, and a 15 percent bonus based on her current salary.

The increase bumps Fretwell’s base salary from $260,000 to roughly $266,500. The raise is retroactive to July 1, the start of the city’s fiscal year.

Fretwell was sworn in as city manager in 2009.

The council approved Fretwell’s raise and bonus unanimously, voting after hearing the city manager highlight some of the accomplishments over the past year.

Fretwell cited the reduction of street and veteran homelessness, a new mobility plan and refocusing on Symphony Park to ready for potential development among the varying city government accomplishments during the past year.

City residents have a high satisfaction rate with city services, Fretwell said, contending that compared to other large cities “we’re setting the standard.”

Fretwell’s base salary was increased in May 2015 to $260,000 after a study found that her compensation was less than some other city managers in the area, city spokesman Jace Radke said.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman and council members lauded Fretwell at their meeting Wednesday, and said they looked forward to her continued leadership.

“I’ll wrestle you in the parking lot if you try to leave,” Councilman Stavros Anthony joked.

As city manager, Fretwell oversees nearly 3,000 employees and a $1.2 billion annual budget. She began working for the city as an assistant city manager in 2000, and was promoted to deputy city manager in 2002. Before that, she worked for the city of Henderson and Clark County.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Find @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.