County Approves Raises for Elected Officials and Restructures Several Positions

At its July 3 meeting, the Churchill County Commission approved $280,000 in salary and benefit increases for eight elected officials, following the passage of SB116 by the Nevada Legislature. The bill, which revises NRS 245.043, increases base salaries for elected officers effective July 1, 2025. The new salaries are calculated using the consumer price index and ensure the official is paid at least 3% more than the highest-paid employee they supervise.

New base salaries include:

• County Commissioners: $36,000/year
• Clerk/Treasurer: $107,818/year
• Recorder: $107,818/year
• Assessor: $107,818/year
• District Attorney: $177,808/year
• Sheriff: $135,738/year

District Attorney Art Mallory noted elected officials haven’t received a salary increase since 2016 and called it unfair for department heads to faithfully fulfill their duties without equitable compensation.

Pay tables for fiscal year 2025–2026 reflect a general 2% adjustment for regular and law enforcement employees. Updates also include the addition of an Election Technician position, changes to Recordation Clerk wages, and the reclassification of captain’s wages in the Sheriff’s Office.

Additional restructuring and pay changes include:

• Sheriff’s Office: Two captain positions restructured, $17,829.81
• Recorder’s Office: Two positions restructured, $3,843.24
• Clerk/Treasurer’s Office: Deputy Clerk/Treasurer replaced by Election Technician, $6,503.92
• District Attorney’s Office: Vacant position reclassified as Deputy DA II (no cost)
• District Court: Clerk position reclassified (no cost)
• Parks and Recreation: $1,000 budgeted for overtime
• Public Works/Planning & Building: $1,140 for pre-meeting planning commissioner sessions and intern retention
• Social Services: $221 in standby time
• All restructured positions and increases were included in the adopted FY25–26 budget.

Other commission actions:

• Declared four vehicles as surplus property
• Awarded $1,307.49 to the Fallon Junior Rodeo
• Extension of an agreement with CSH for Medicaid technical assistance, to explore if Churchill County can become a Medicaid-billable county.
• Approved a one-year contract with Emma White to support suicide prevention (cost split with City of Fallon and Social Services)
• Ratified lease with Sandra Burrell for one beauty shop station at the Pennington Life Center
• Approved funding for mental health and substance abuse education: $20,200 to Churchill County School District and $19,500 to Churchill Community Coalition (funded by Marijuana Tax Fund)
• Transferred parking lot at 170 S. East St. to the City of Fallon to finalize a previous agreement involving the old Senior Center and Cottage School
• Appointed County Manager Chris Spross to area boards, replacing former manager Jim Barbee
• Adopted a resolution assigning two cents of each $100 in taxable property to the Cooperative Extension Program (estimated revenue: $154,400)
• Adopted resolution certifying the county’s tax rate at $2.8629; the City of Fallon rate is $3.66 per $100 of taxable property.
• Reappointed Carla Pomeroy to a three-year term on the Transfer of Development Rights Sending Site Review Committee
• Reappointed Jason Sibley to a three-year term on the Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife
• Reappointed Ava Case, Gary Imelli, and Bob Francke to four-year terms on the Parks and Recreation Commission