Mayor wants to give Harry Reid's son lucrative contract extension

Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen, once lobbied by Sen. Harry Reid to hire his son as city attorney, now wants to give Josh Reid a lengthy contract extension with built-in salary boosts that eventually would amount to more than a 20 per cent increase.

Hafen put the item on next week's council agenda right after a standard item for Reid the Younger's annual evaluation, asking his colleagues to approve a second contract extension for the city attorney, who makes $208,000 a year and would be at more than $252,000 by the expiration date of Jan. 1, 2021, if the agreement passed.

The agreement contains an immediate $10,000 pay increase and guaranteed 3 percent yearly increases for Reid, who already is paid significantly more than other valley city attorneys, according to a document in the agenda backup. It also would entitle Reid the Younger to additional "cost of living or other non-performance related salary increase (s) provided to other executive and or appointed employees of the City during the term of this Agreement."

I could not reach either Hafen or Josh Reid to get a rationale for putting such an item on the agenda, especially right after a yet-to-be-determined performance evaluation. I tried despite the city being closed on Fridays. (Don't get me started.) But two sources told me Hafen does not have the votes and that some council members are appalled.

Reid the Younger was hired in 2011 after, as I reported, his father called Hafen and other council members. The RJ's Jane Ann Morrison also reported at the time thst the city removed barriers to his hiring. His contract was extended in 2013.

The agreement would extend Reid the Younger's contract four years after his father leaves office in 2017.

 

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