Double-dipper Judge Kephart received $359,819 in 2019

By Hans Sherrer
Special to the Las Vegas Tribune
Three 8th Judicial District Court judges are double-dipping by receiving their State paid salaries while also receiving pensions for their prior employment as Clark County employees. The double-dippers identified on transparentnevada.com are Judge William Kephart, Judge Michael Villani, and Judge Mary Kay Holthus.
All three judges are running for reelection in 2020. The election is scheduled for November 3, 2020.
Kephart received a total of $359,819.39 in 2019, with $224,561.03 in pay and benefits from the State of Nevada for his position as an 8th Judicial District Court judge, and $135,258.36 for his pension as a retired Clark County employee.
Villani received a total of $274,006.08 in 2019, with $252,652.88 in pay and benefits from the State of Nevada for his position as an 8th Judicial District Court judge, and $21,353.20 for his pension as a retired Clark County employee.
Holthus received a total of $269,088.88 in 2019, with $187,716.12 in pay and benefits from the State of Nevada for her position as an 8th Judicial District Court judge, and $81,372.76 for her pension as a retired Clark County employee.
A summary of payments for the three judges follows: William “Bill” Kephart Took office as Las Vegas Justice of the Peace in 2011. Took office as 8th Judicial District Court Judge in 2015.
Current term ends January 2021.
Prior to becoming a judge he worked in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office for more than 20 years.
He began collecting his Clark County pension in 2015. 2015: Judicial Pay and Benefits $207,412.80; Pension $131,293.32;
Total $338,706.12
2016: Judicial Pay and Benefits $208,048.98; Pension Not listed on TN.com; Total $208,048.98*
2017: Judicial Pay and Benefits $208,218.08; Pension $131,293.00;
Total $339,511.08
2018: Judicial Pay and Benefits $207,657.27; Pension $133,919.16;
Total $341,576.43
2019: Judicial Pay and Benefits $224,561.03; Pension $135,258.36;
Total $359,819.39
* Doesn’t include pension not listed on transparentnevada.com.
Michael P. Villani Took office as 8th Judicial District Court Judge in 2007. Current term ends January 2021 Prior to becoming a judge he had worked in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
The earliest year transparentnevada.com shows he collected his pension is 2013.
2013: Judicial Pay and Benefits $234,728.45; Pension $18,872.28; Total
$253,600.73
2014: Judicial Pay and Benefits $239,004.36; Pension $19,249.68; Total
$258,254.04
2015: Judicial Pay and Benefits $249,146.16; Pension $20,027.28; Total
$269,173.44
2016: Judicial Pay and Benefits $242,674.89; Pension Not listed on
TN.com; Total 242,674.89*
2017: Judicial Pay and Benefits $246,822.68; Pension $20,628.00; Total
$267,450.68
2018: Judicial Pay and Benefits $250,081.15; Pension $21,246.96; Total
$271,328.11
2019: Judicial Pay and Benefits $252,652.88; Pension $21,353.20; Total
$274,006.08
* Doesn’t include pension not listed on transparentnevada.com.
Mary Kay Holthus Took office as 8th Judicial District Court Judge in 2019. Current term ends January 2021.
Prior to becoming a judge she worked in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office for more than 27 years.
She began collecting her Clark County pension in 2019.
2019: Judicial Pay & Benefits $187,716.12; Pension $81,372.76; Total $269,088.88
Nevada’s public employee pension law permits double-dipping, so it is legal for Kephart, Villani and Holthus to receive a state salary and their county pension at the same time.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that about 700 state employees are double-dippers, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported they are annually collecting about $23 million in pension payments — for an average of about $33,000 yearly. Thus the $135k Kephart received and the $81k Holthus received in 2019 are significantly above average, while the 21k Villani received is below average.