By MARK WAITE

PVT

A contract with the Nye County Law Enforcement Association retroactive for the last two years was rejected by a 3-2 vote of the Nye County Commission Thursday.

The three Pahrump commissioners who voted against the agreement: Gary Hollis, Fely Quitevis and Butch Borasky.

Nye County labor counsel Mark Ricciardi said the terms of the contract would be retroactive for the past two years after some problems coming to an agreement with the union.

Ricciardi reported the annual fiscal impact at $431,000. He said the contract would:

* Increase the county budget for base salaries by $229,000 for this fiscal year, from $5.74 million to $5.97 million;

* Hike health insurance costs by $104,000, from $564,480 to $669,030;

* Increase standby pay by $44,000, from $85,366 to $129,906;

* Increase shift differential pay by $26,000, from $61,021 to $87,174;

* Increase overtime on the shift differential pay by $5,941, from $13,862 to $19,803.

* Add another $20,000 for special assignments pay.

“I just want to clarify this $431,000 — we have to pay this,” Quitevis said.

Ricciardi told Borasky the expense was budgeted.

Even if this contract were approved, the labor attorney would then have to negotiate a contract with the sheriff’s deputies union for the term beginning July 1.

“This is abject stupidity,” said Travis Huggins, president of the Nye County Law Enforcement Association, after the vote. “This is their offer to me, which was rejected, which is two years overdue.”

The county had offered a 4 percent annual raise, he said.

The union will enter into arbitration with the county in an attempt to hammer out a contract, Huggins said. County commissioners will set a date to reconsider the contract during a special conference call.

The rejection led to angry words by one member of the sheriff’s office, Deputy Tom Klenczar, who threatened a boycott of Quitevis’ businesses.

Huggins said sheriff’s deputies pay their own health insurance separate from the county plan. While health insurance premiums have skyrocketed, members of the association haven’t received increased reimbursement, Huggins said

One member of the insurance pool, a deputy hired by the county, had major prior conditions including epileptic seizures and had to undergo brain surgery, he said.

The association represents deputy sheriffs, sergeants, district attorney investigators and juvenile probation officers who have been in their position at least one year.

Members who had to appear in court during their off-duty time would receive time and a half with a minimum of two hours pay.

The contract included longevity pay and retiree health benefits for those who began work prior to Dec. 1, 1998. The county would pay half the health insurance premiums for retirees who began work after that date.