LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board unanimously approved a 6% merit raise and a $240,603 performance bonus for President and CEO Steve Hill on Tuesday.
The vote increases Hill's annual base salary to $566,755, bringing his total compensation for the year to $807,358. When hired for the position in 2018, Hill’s base salary was $375,000.
Hill has served as the LVCVA's president and CEO since 2018. He leads the public agency responsible for promoting Las Vegas as a tourism destination — attracting conventions, meetings, sporting events and special events to Southern Nevada.
During Hill's tenure, Las Vegas hosted its first Super Bowl and secured another for 2029, launched the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix — a contract now extended through 2037 — hosted Wrestlemania (which will also return for another run), and will host its first NCAA Men's Final Four in 2028.
While those events weren't the work of one person, but LVCVA board members pointed to the agency's performance under Hill's leadership when they voted to approve the raise. They also compared his pay with chief executives at similar destination marketing organizations.
Following the vote, Channel 13 asked Hill how he responds to people who question whether a bonus of that size is an appropriate use of public funds.
"You know, I'm very privileged to have the job, and I leave it to the board to talk about my compensation," Hill said.
Channel 13 also asked Hill whether he had any role in negotiating his own pay.
"No. I am not at all involved in the conversation about what I'm paid," Hill said.
The LVCVA oversees a budget of about $460 million, which comes primarily from room tax revenue paid by hotel guests. Those tax dollars are dedicated, by state law, to supporting the agency's tourism mission.
The LVCVA also owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Las Vegas Monorail.