Taxpayers get burned when county ignores the law

In Thursday’s newspaper we reported that the arbitrator accepted the county’s final and best offer for a new one-year contract instead of the one offered by the firefighters.

The county manager said it will take effect after the county commissioners approve it Feb. 1 and will not be retroactive to the date the old contract expired on June 30, 2010.

“That means firefighters won't have to write a check to the county refunding some of the pay they received in the past seven months,” the story paraphrased County Manager Don Burnette.

But state law, specifically NRS 288, states, “The arbitrator shall, within 10 days after the final offers are submitted, accept one of the written statements, on the basis of the criteria provided in NRS 288.200, and shall report the decision to the parties. The decision of the arbitrator is final and binding on the parties. Any award of the arbitrator is retroactive to the expiration date of the last contract.”

In early 2007, when the 2006-10 contract was agreed upon, it was retroactive to July 1, 2006. That contrqct included a 4.25 percent pay increase. Retroactive.

Why did the taxpayers have to pick up retroactive costs then, but the firefighters are let off the hook when pay is cut 2 percent?

Sounds like someone is being generous with our money. It doesn’t sound like the law allows that.