Lander County approves raise for justice of the peace to $89,307

Lander County commissioners on April 24 voted to raise the salary for the county general justice of the peace to $89,307, effective the next pay period.

The measure, brought during a discussion of elected-official pay, passed on a voice vote after extended public comment and commissioner discussion about precedent, training and a pending state bill that would set pay ranges for elected officials.

The change matters because county commissioners set the justice of the peace pay separately from other elected officials and because the new amount aligns with a pending Senate bill that would raise base pay for elected positions in many Nevada counties. Justice Spencer Roberts, who sought the increase, said he has pursued judicial training and new technology to make the court more accessible and to reduce costs for the county by minimizing the need for outside senior-judge coverage.

Roberts said he attended judge orientation and a judicial conference and has scheduled a Judicial College course in October. He told the commission that the job requires frequent after-hours response for search warrants, arrest warrants and emergency hearings and that the court has implemented a cloud-based warrant submission system that speeds emergency reviews. “We can review a probable-cause submission in minutes,” Roberts said.

Jenny Martin, Arguello Justice Court administrator, told the board that the justice of the peace must be on call continuously and that weekend bail hearings and other duties prompted a separate pay line for weekend coverage in past years.

Public commenters urged approval. Arthur Aiken, who conducts frequent business with the court, described Roberts’s responsiveness and called him “exemplary.”

Commission discussion ranged from procedural concerns to budget mechanics. Commissioner Mike said a 74 percent jump would be “substantial” and emphasized the board’s role as steward of taxpayer funds. Commissioner Felicia and others cited the weight and risk of the position and the benefit of reducing outside senior-judge costs when the justice can perform duties remotely.

Commissioners also discussed Senate Bill 116, a pending piece of legislation that would set base salaries for elected officials; several commissioners said passing a local raise now could avoid a duplicate request later if the bill passes. County finance staff indicated the department could absorb the change in the current fiscal year budget but that it should be reflected in next year’s budget documents.

The motion to increase the justice of the peace salary to $89,307 passed on a unanimous voice vote: “Aye” from each seated commissioner.

The commission did not change other court staff salaries at this meeting; several justice-court personnel items were tabled to a later date so all commissioners could participate.

The county manager and court staff will update payroll and budget documents to reflect the change.