Churchill County public administrator asks commissioners for higher stipend, separate fund for ‘abandoned’ cases

Summary

Public Administrator Bob Ghetto told the Board of County Commissioners that routine costs and unrecovered expenses for estates are straining his office and asked to raise the annual stipend from $40,000 to $47,616, boost the hourly extraordinary‑service rate and create a $10,000 fund to pay cremation costs for abandoned bodies.

Bob Ghetto, Churchill County public administrator, told commissioners at their November meeting that day‑to‑day costs and unrecovered case expenses have left his office operating at a tight margin and urged the board to change how the county supports public administration. "What Churchill County came to 10 years ago is that we were gonna have the Board of County Commissioners give a stipend to this office," Ghetto said, noting the county currently provides a $40,000 annual stipend.

Ghetto outlined how casework ranges from indigent decedents with no assets to estates worth thousands or millions, and described a cumbersome statutory payment model that sometimes yields little recovery for the hours spent. He said routine outlays include specialty software, a 24/7 call center, certified mailings and mileage, and that small estates can cost more to pursue than they return. "Sometimes I get $40. Sometimes I…

Churchill County public administrator asks commissioners for higher stipend, separate fund for ‘abandoned’ cases

Summary

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