NLV board adopts 2011 budget plan

North Las Vegas adopted a $736.8 million budget for fiscal year 2011 on Tuesday, an amount about 10 percent less than 2010's adopted spending plan.

The slimmed-down budget eliminates 204 city jobs by mid-June but maintains current cost-of-living raises for city workers as the city continues to struggle with plummeting revenues.

"We're in the fourth year of decline in our largest revenue source in the general fund," Finance Director Phil Stoeckinger said of the city's share of consolidated tax revenue -- such as sales, use, liquor and cigarette taxes -- distributed by the state.

Those revenues were down 21 percent in 2009 and are projected to be down another 18.7 percent in 2010.

Fiscal year 2011 begins July 1, 2010 and runs through June 30, 2011.

The City Council unanimously adopted the budget after a half-hour meeting and very little discussion. There was none of the heated debate that occurred in previous budget workshops as council members hammered out cuts.

The city's adopted 2010 budget was $816.9 million. Since its adoption North Las Vegas has undergone several rounds of budget cuts, eliminated or frozen dozens of positions, trimmed departmental budgets and offered voluntary employee buyouts and furloughs.

Talks this year between the city and its employee unions over concessions to save jobs have so far been unsuccessful, and the City Council last month approved cutting the 204 jobs to come up with the additional $33.4 million it needed to make it through fiscal year 2011. Layoff notices already have been distributed.

Even so, the city must find about $10 million more to trim from 2011's budget in coming months in order to maintain an 8.3 percent general fund balance, said Al Noyola, the city's assistant director of administrative services. And based on projections, the city will have to trim $41.8 million from its 2012 budget and another $29.7 million from 2013, he said.

The city's 2011 general fund budget is $149.5 million, compared to $202 million budgeted for 2010. Public safety makes up $100.7 million of the 2011 general fund budget.

The city budgeted $234.6 million for capital projects in fiscal year 2011. The overall budget also includes $3.6 million for the city's library district and $4.7 million for its redevelopment agency.

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.