Which Clark County government employees made the most last year?
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of stories gleaned from government compensation data that is not readily available to the public.
Working for local government in Southern Nevada can be lucrative. The same can be said of retiring from it.
In Clark County, the largest of the local governments, four of the 10 most highly compensated employees last year cashed out vacation and sick leave in the six figures. The largest cash-out was more than $260,000, according to data obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal through a public records request.
Clark County, which has a generous policy for accruing sick and vacation days, permits employees to cash out their unused days when they leave county employment.
Some of the highest-paid employees saw their wages significantly boosted by overtime – one by almost $186,000.
Then-Fire Chief John Steinbeck told the Review-Journal last year that the department had been hiring an “unprecedented” number of recruits to help fill vacancies and reduce overtime costs. When there are vacancies, overtime is mandatory to maintain appropriate staffing levels, he said.
Others were paid large salaries as top administrators, with the highest-compensated employee — the chief executive at Reid International Airport — receiving more than half a million dollars in pay and benefits.
County wages may get a boost from 100-plus different types of additional pay beyond regular pay, such as longevity pay, which rewards years of employment, and severance pay, which in the private sector is typically reserved for those who are laid off or fired.
Under the county’s management plan, “employees are eligible to receive severance for any reason for separation from the county, including voluntary,” county spokesperson Jennifer Cooper said in an email. She and an airport spokesperson confirmed that among the 10 highest-compensated employees, the three receiving severance had voluntarily retired.
County employees also profit from benefits that go beyond what’s generally offered in the private sector, including employer contributions to the state Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS.
The county last year had a payroll of almost 15,000 people, including full-time, part-time and temporary employees.
Here’s the breakdown for the 10 employees who received the highest compensation:
1. Rosemary Vassiliadis, director of aviation
Total pay $392,300, including $50,400 in longevity pay. Total benefits $159,100. Total pay and benefits: $551,400.
2. Rian Glassford, deputy fire chief, early retirement
Total pay $424,900, including a cash-out of $208,200 in vacation and sick leave, $42,800 in longevity pay and $9,400 in severance. Total benefits $111,200. Total pay and benefits: $536,100.
3. Ralph Lepore, senior director of aviation
Total pay $439,200, including a cash-out of $229,200, $50,200 in severance and $28,600 in longevity pay. Total benefits $59,200. Total pay and benefits: $498,400.
4. Patrick Schiller, county manager
Total pay, $363,600, including a $14,900 bonus. Total benefits $126,400. Total pay and benefits: $490,000.
5. Steven Parrish, general manager and chief engineer for the Regional Flood Control District
Total pay $337,300, including $49,000 in longevity pay and $23,300 in sold back vacation and sick leave, a different wage category from cash-outs. Total benefits $121,100. Total pay and benefits: $458,400.
6. Darin Imlay, public defender
Total pay $418,100, including a $262,400 cash-out, $26,800 in longevity pay and $56,600 in severance. Total benefits $36,700. Total pay and benefits: $454,700.
7. Joseph Salazar, fire engineer
Total pay $368,700, including $185,800 in overtime and $56,200 in longevity pay. Total benefits $82,500. Total pay and benefits: $451,200.
8. Brian Odiorne, fire captain
Total pay $354,000, including a $144,700 cash-out, $53,600 in longevity pay and $31,000 in overtime. Total benefits $77,800. Total pay and benefits: $431,800.
9. John Steinbeck, the county’s fire chief, early retirement
Total pay: $280,000, including $41,200 in longevity pay and $18,400 in sold back vacation and sick leave. Total benefits $143,500. Total pay and benefits: $423,500.
10. John Stutzman, fire engineer in Laughlin
Total pay $332,300, including $120,100 in overtime and $47,300 in longevity pay. Total benefits $95,300. Total pay and benefits: $421,600.
Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0336. Follow @MaryHynes1 on X.
