When I found out about the 8.73% PERS increase that will likely happen in July 2025, like all of you, I was infuriated. My phone started ringing with calls and dinging with text messages trying to confirm the information the LVPPA has just pushed out to our membership. 

Many were mad at us and vented to me about what this PERS increase means and what the LVPPA is going to do to ensure we do not see any loss of pay. Rest assured, the LVPPA will do everything within its power to ensure officers do not receive a reduction in pay. There are, however, things you all can do to help the LVPPA fight this issue well. 

PERS is very powerful, so the only entities that can regulate and control them are the elected assembly people and senators who will be meeting at the legislative session beginning in February to approve this increase that will take place next July. If we are truly sick and tired of PERS making decisions in a bubble and not understanding how this large increase affects our profession and families, then we need to fill up those committee rooms when hearings are scheduled regarding PERS. 

You do not have to be in Carson City to testify — you can testify over video at the Grant Sawyer building in Las Vegas across from Cashman Field. I will be in Carson City lobbying on your behalf so I can keep you informed of the time and date, but I need you to show up and testify. 

I will also send out a list of legislator phone numbers and emails. We need to fill up those email and voicemail boxes of every legislator if we really want to hold PERS accountable. I’ve been in meetings with the PERS director, and I have heard her make derogatory statements about our profession and the actions she would like to take. 

In my opinion, she is envious of our benefits. When she walked into the legislative building last session, she would speak to other union lobbyists except for me. In my opinion, PERS Director Tina Leiss has a clear bias against first responders, so we as a profession need to hold her accountable for her biases, and we can do that by pressuring our elected officials to hold her accountable for the decisions she makes regarding increases among other decisions as well. 

On my end, I am already collaborating with other police union leadership from all over the state to form a clear message that this large increase hurts our families during a time when housing is unaffordable for newer officers and while inflation may be down, the cost of goods is still high. When we testify at the legislative session next year, the Public Safety Alliance of Nevada, which is comprised of most of the police officers in the state of Nevada, will stand on one clear message. The message is that the PERS increase is not needed, and PERS needs to be more transparent with its decision-making. 

We will also be looking at legislation that puts a cap on PERS increases. We have said for years that the law enforcement position on the PERS board needs to be someone who represents the largest number of officers, not a handpicked person from a small police agency that Director Leiss can manipulate and control. I hope that reading this makes you mad enough to take time out of your busy schedule to make calls, send emails to your legislator and demand action. I also hope when the time comes, you will show up and testify that enough is enough.