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Council approves two-year police contract after contentious 3–2 vote
Summary
The Carlin City Council approved a two-year contract with Operating Engineers Local Union #3 that provides a 10% wage increase in year one and 7% in year two; the measure passed 3–2 amid concerns about a roughly $158,000 budget shortfall.
Phillip Herring, representing Operating Engineers Local Union #3, presented a revised two-year proposal for the City of Carlin Police Department. Herring said the union had trimmed earlier requests and offered key financial terms: "a 10% wage increase in the first year and a 7% increase in the second year." He also described new hiring steps for experienced officers and clarifications for certification pay.
City Manager Richard Braithwaite told the council that the total fiscal impact, including benefits and retirement (noting an unanticipated 8.7% increase in the NVPERS retirement cost for law enforcement), produced approximately a $158,000 budget shortfall and that the proposed increases exceeded the 15% assumed in the adopted budget (the proposal represented about a 21.4% total increase by management's calculation). Mayor Dana Holbrook said he opposed the proposal because of its long-term fiscal impact.
Councilmember Cameron Kinney moved to approve the two‑year contract; the motion carried 3–2 with Kinney, Brandon Keller and Lyndsie Whigham in favor and Mayor Dana Holbrook and Denise Taylor opposed. Supporters emphasized retention concerns for officers; opponents raised budgetary sustainability worries. The contract now proceeds to implementation and staff will identify funding adjustments to cover the fiscal gap.
