Average annual salaries for Nevada’s state and local government workers rose 2.2 percent in 2009 from $55,700 to $56,900.
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce monitors several areas of policy on the local, state and federal levels of government. Below are some of the priority issues that the Chamber is currently monitoring.
Fiscal responsibility at every level of government is important to our economic health. It is important to address it now as the longer we wait, the more severe the solution will be in terms of taxes.
The long-range impact of fiscal responsibility is of vital importance to business. The Chamber is currently studying the potential benefits of expenditure reform and is proud to be driving this issue.
The Chamber believes that Nevada's public employee retirement program is in dire need of restructuring. With almost 40 percent of Nevada state employees eligible for retirement in the next 10 years, the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and Public Employees' Benefits Program (PEBP) have a combined liability of more than $10 billion. As a defined benefit program and by subsidizing health care, PERS and PEBP both offer public employees generous plans generally unheard of in the private sector.
While the Chamber believes that public employees are a vital part of Nevada, we also believe taxpayers cannot afford to continue funding an overly generous system. The Chamber believes that reforming the system would greatly relieve the further liability that is sure to incur and better fund programs in critical need.
Click Here to view Chamber Government Spending Reports
While the transportation needs of Nevada are important to all residents, road improvements and highway funding are especially critical to commerce and the economy. Good roads are vital to the transportation of goods and services, getting employees to and from their jobs, helping customers access businesses, and bringing tourists into our state. The Chamber works on behalf of the business community to make sure that every effort is made to secure the valuable transportation funds needed by our community.
Business has a vital interest in ensuring that our schools provide students with a quality education that will prepare them to be a productive member of our workforce. The Chamber believes that improving the performance of the state's K-12 educational system is necessary to provide a strong foundation for Nevada's competitive business climate. As one of the largest customers of the education system, Nevada's business community understands firsthand the need for a strong educational system.
A reliable energy supply is critical to strengthening, enhancing and protecting business while building a strong local economy. Increasing renewable energy development would create high-wage jobs in our community. In addition, increasing the use of energy efficiency and conservation measures in businesses could mean savings to the bottom line. Combined, they have the potential to stimulate our local economy and help ensure a stable future.
The Chamber supports the extension of renewable energy tax incentives. Nevada leads the nation in geothermal and solar power production per capita, and we believe extending federal tax incentives will help further our local efforts to maintain that status. Moreover, the economic vitality of our community depends on reliable, cost-effective energy. Extending tax incentives for renewable energy projects has the potential to increase the level of investment in Nevada's abundant natural resources.
The Chamber encourages diversifying the sources of energy available to the community and does not rule out any specific approach, including coal-fired plants.
The Chamber knows that providing health insurance to your employees is one of the most expensive outlays for your business, yet it's also a benefit that most employers try to offer their valued employees. The increasingly high cost of health insurance makes providing coverage a struggle, particularly for the self-employed and small business. As a result, many of Nevada's workers remain uninsured. The Chamber believes that reforming the system to ensure increased access without sacrificing quality is a health care priority for Nevada.
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce:
Eminent Domain powers can be harmful if left unchecked and the Chamber is dedicated to protecting the rights of your business to ensure that government interference is kept to a minimum. If the government chooses to invoke its eminent domain powers to take land from a private property owner, it must be for public use (i.e. roads, water, sewer etc.). The Chamber advocates for protecting property owners from onerous legislation that negatively affects the community. Business should not be at the mercy of government action.
The Chamber is vehemently OPPOSED to the Yucca Mountain Repository.
Allowing such a facility in Nevada would seriously mar the attractive qualities of our community with regard to tourism and business.
Average annual salaries for Nevada’s state and local government workers rose 2.2 percent in 2009 from $55,700 to $56,900.
Nevada state employees earned 107 percent of the national state government average; local government employees (excluding teachers) earned 129 percent of the national average.
Topping the list of highest paid workers are firefighters (149 percent of the national average); water supply employees (144 percent of the national average); other fire employees (139 percent of the national average); and sewerage employees (133 percent of the national average).
79,200 out of a total of 115,400 (69%) of all state and local government employees were in job categories reporting higher-than-average wages in 2009.