Clinger named Reno City Manager Will stay until budget finished

Nevada Director of Administration Andrew Clinger was formally named Reno City Manager on Wednesday.

But he said Thursday he has advised the governor he will stay with the state until the budget is passed and the Legislature adjourned.

Clinger has been budget director under governors Kenny Guinn, Jim Gibbons, and now Brian Sandoval. He guided the state budget through four legislative sessions and the worst economic downturn in Nevada history.

He said he is looking forward to a new challenge managing Reno, which has also suffered a severe budget crisis with serious layoffs and service reductions. He said obviously the budget will still be his biggest challenge as head of the city.

He was asked to consider the job by Mayor Bob Cashell because of the respect he has, not only among state officials and lawmakers, but businesspeople as well.

The vote was unanimous with Sharon Zadra abstaining, not because of objections to Clinger but, she said, because of the abbreviated process. Cashell proposed Clinger as city manager just two weeks ago.

His salary will reflect the 7.5-percent pay cut the city has already asked all of its employees to take. It will still be substantially more than he makes at the state. As director, Clinger's salary is $127,721 minus the 4.6 percent cut from monthly furloughs.

At the city, he will be paid $191,168 a year. But, in addition, the city pays all instead of half of his Public Employee Retirement System premiums, worth nearly $30,000 a year more to his take home pay.

He replaces Donna Dreska as city manager.