Lyon Co. approves interim jail admin

Sergeant to fill top jail position during county hiring search

MARSHALL -- Lyon County will be looking for a new jail administrator after the retirement of Brad Marks, who has been a Lyon County employee since 2001.

On Tuesday, county commissioners voted to approve Gabriel Figueroa as interim administrator.

"We had a retirement, so that's where the interim administrator position became available," said Commissioner Todd Draper.

Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen said Marks retired on Aug. 17.

Lyon County Human Resources Director Aurora Heard presented county commissioners with a request to approve Figueroa as interim jail administrator, effective Aug. 21. Figueroa would receive a salary of $100,000 a year, she said. Under county policies, a county employee can temporarily receive a salary above their current pay scale if they are asked by a supervisor or department head to perform the duties of a position with a higher pay classification. Usually, this happens due to a temporary vacancy in the position, county staff said.

Heard estimated that it would take at least four weeks for the county to recruit and backfill for a full-time jail administrator.

Figueroa is currently the administrative sergeant at the Lyon County Jail and has been with the county since 2008, Heard said.

"He started as a correctional officer, and then was promoted in 2009 to a sergeant position," she said.

"I think he was one of the first batch (of employees) when we built the new jail," said County Administrator Loren Stomberg.

Figueroa's work experience at the jail made him a good fit for the interim position, he said.

Commissioners voted to approve Figueroa taking on the interim administrator position.