Commissioners wary over plan affecting workers

Amid concerns about scaring off qualified applicants, the Clark County Commission on Tuesday delayed consideration of an ordinance that would require county employees to be county residents also.

Commissioner Tom Collins said he introduced the measure to make sure county workers feel loyal to the communities they serve.

He also wants to make sure they don’t take their money somewhere else, money the county could get back in the form of vehicle registration fees and taxes on everything from property to gasoline.

If approved as written, the ordinance would apply only to people hired after its adoption. Current staff would be exempt.

Don Burnette, chief administrative officer for the county, said approximately 106 employees live outside the county. Some live in southern Utah or northwestern Arizona. Others commute to work from Pahrump in Nye County or Alamo in Lincoln County.

“A number of them are firefighters,” Burnette said.

Collins said that if each one of those 106 employees makes about $60,000 a year, that is about $6 million more that could be spent in Clark County. “That adds up.”

But several commissioners expressed concern about the potential effects of a residency requirement.

Commissioner Chip Maxfield said there was too much ambiguity and urged further study before any action is taken.

Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said he worries such a rule could hurt the county’s ability to hire qualified people in Laughlin.

“Laughlin and Bullhead City (Ariz.) are basically one community separated by the Colorado River,” he said.

Burnette said about 25 percent of the county’s 71 workers assigned to the Laughlin area do not live in Clark County.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said she fears the measure could have a “chilling effect” when it comes to hard-to-fill jobs.

Already, finding enough qualified social workers, architects and engineers can be tough, County Manager Virginia Valentine said.

“Right now, we do have a very, very difficult time filling some job classes,” she said.

But Collins has a hard time believing that. He argued that Clark County seems large enough to attract qualified professionals who either want to live here or already do.

“I don’t see any positions that aren’t in Clark County, from heart surgeons to janitors,” he said. “They’re all here.”

“We’re interested in getting the best work force we can,” Valentine said. “If they’re local, great.”

Collins’ proposed ordinance, with some of the changes discussed Tuesday, could come back before the commission for consideration next month.