PERS
The Public Employees' Retirement System of Nevada (PERS) is one of the state's most important public policy issues, but has largely remained under the radar.
As one of the largest consumers of tax dollars in the state, the fiscal health of PERS impacts everything from teacher salaries, the quality of public services received by Nevadans and much more.
The soaring cost of paying down the system’s multi-billion dollar deficit is frequently behind the push for higher taxes, even if officials are unwilling to advertise that fact.
Misinformation about Nevada PERS is commonplace among both legislators and the media, making the need for accurate information that much more important.
Read on to learn more!
Featured Articles
Nevada teachers the victims of lawmaker inaction on PERS
In a just-released analysis of teacher pension plans nationwide, the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (PERS) failed to receive a single passing mark in the categories of cost, fairness,…
News organizations need to stop misleading the public about PERS
A pernicious myth is being spread by some of Nevada’s news organizations about the financial health of PERS — erroneously suggesting the public should be unconcerned about a multi-billion dollar…
PERS debt triples to $40B if consultant's buried report is correct
While most financial experts are warning of future teacher shortages, decaying roads, higher taxes and cuts to public safety, members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (PERS) board…
Recent News
Union opposition to PERS reform hurts public employees the most
Nevada’s government unions have for years successfully thwarted all efforts to reform the state’s public pension system, despite warnings from experts that it would be their own members who would…
Nevadans could see $6 billion increase in pension debt, as economy falters
Nevada Policy has written extensively on the hidden risk associated with Nevada’s public pension system (PERS). A new tool from the Reason Foundation allows users to get a…
Clark County teachers hit with $1,000 pay cut, thanks to pair of recent rate hikes
Rather than forcing taxpayers, including teachers, to pour more money into a broken system, teachers and students alike would be better served by addressing the root cause of Nevada’s education problem: the chronic and systemic mismanagement of public schools.
Teacher strike threat highlights need for PERS reform
Clark County teachers are understandably upset over rising PERS costs, which have gone up nearly 45 percent since 2007 and now cost the average teacher over $17,000 a year.