City payroll posted on RN&R site

Last year as part of its news coverage of the economic downturn, the Reno Gazette-Journal asked for copies of the Reno, Sparks and Washoe County payrolls. Those governments were willing to provide the lists, but worker organizations went to court to block the disclosure. The Gazette-Journal won a Dec. 12 ruling from Judge Patrick Flanagan that the data were public information and ordered it released to the newspaper. Since then no coverage resulted, so RN&R editor Brian Burghart obtained the Reno list and has posted it online so readers can see it for themselves. The list can be found at http://media.newsreview.com/reno/salaryinfoscannedredacted.pdf.

One thing that jumped out from the list is that huge amounts of overtime are being paid—this is particularly true in fire and police—that suggest other ways city employees could be managed.