Who are the highest paid officials in Clark County?
Several Clark County government officials were among the nation’s top 5 percent of wage earners in 2022, records show.
Former County Manager Yolanda King was paid $728,300, former Chief Public Defender Curtis Brown $457,600 and Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis $369,200, according to county pay data. King’s and Brown’s earnings were significantly boosted by cashing out accrued leave when they retired.
The top 5 percent in the country earned on average $344,667, according to nonprofit, non-partisan think tank the Economic Policy Institute. Half a dozen county employees were paid roughly the average or more, according to pay data obtained through a public records request.
For its calculation, the think tank used Social Security Administration pay data that encompasses wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, severance pay and exercised stock options.
Five of the county’s top 10 highest paid saw their earnings boosted by cashing out sick and vacation pay upon separation from the county, which touts its generous leave accrual policy. Among the top paid also were fire officials whose base pay was increased by overtime, longevity and call-back pay, among other wage categories.
King, the top-paid county employee, had a base pay of $256,400 and other pay of $472,000 in 2022, the most recent year data was available. The other pay included $46,000 in cashed-out vacation pay upon separation from the county and $265,400 in cashed-out sick pay. Her compensation also included $82,200 in longevity pay, $66,900 in severance pay, a vehicle allowance of $6,200 and a wellness benefit of $5,200.
Brown, the second highest-paid employee, had a base pay of $121,400 and other pay of $336,200, including $263,800 in cashed-out sick pay and $20,900 in cashed-out vacation, along with $31,400 in longevity pay and $20,200 in severance.
Vassiliadis earned a base pay of $289,600. Other pay totaling $79,600 included $43,000 in longevity pay, a $6,000 vehicle allowance, a $17,000 management bonus and a $6,000 wellness benefit.
Of the county’s approximate 13,400 employees, including part-time workers and those who worked only a portion of the year, seven were paid more than $300,000, 162 more than $200,000 and 2,088 more than $100,000.
County employees’ overall compensation is bolstered by 100 percent employer-paid retirement benefits. County employees do not pay social security taxes.
The top 10 paid employees in Clark County government in 2022 were the following:
—Yolanda King, county manager, total pay $728,300, benefits $137,400
—Curtis Brown, chief public defender, total pay $457,600, benefits $54,000
—Rosemary Vassiliadis, director of aviation, total pay $369,200, benefits $132,300
—Mary-Anne Miller, county counsel, total pay $341,200, benefits $9,200
—James Sweetin, chief deputy district attorney, total pay $338,700, benefits $38,900
—William Hill, Laughlin fire engineer, $335,400 total pay, benefits $88,200
—L Taggard, Laughlin fire captain, total pay $303,700, benefits $86,400
—Karl Lee, fire logistics official, total pay $294,000, benefits $58,000
—Steven Parrish, Regional Flood Control district manager, total pay $292,300, $96,300
—Edward Gordon, fire engineer, total pay $291,500, benefits $68,800
Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MaryHynes1 on X. Hynes is a member of the Review-Journal’s investigative team, focusing on reporting that holds leaders and agencies accountable and exposes wrongdoing.
