Range misfiring

The Clark County Shooting Complex has been operating for more than three years. That makes the complex a relatively new business, and new businesses need time to gain an economic foothold under the best of circumstances, let alone the terrible conditions that have persisted in Southern Nevada for the past five years.

But there comes a point for every business when significant progress toward operating in the black must be shown. And for a business built on 2,900 acres of public land (read: your land) with more than $60 million in federal funds (read: tax dollars) and operated by the county government (you get the idea), that point shouldn’t be put off any longer. The shooting complex will have a net loss of nearly $900,000 for the fiscal year that ends June 30, and over the past three years, taxpayer bailouts have totaled $1.75 million.

To his credit, County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak suggested the county seek a contract with a private company to operate the complex — but not until next year, after more evaluation. That probably would mean at least two more years of losses by the time a bid is solicited and all the paper pushing and political finagling is done. And this for a government that has no money to spare — the commission wants to raise the sales tax rate to keep cops on the job.

So how about this, Mr. Sisolak: Start the process of putting out feelers for potential private partners right now. If the complex makes a tremendous turnaround in the next 12 months, then the county has options. Locking the public into what probably will be at least two more years of losses shouldn’t be one of them.

Commissioner Tom Collins, the shooting complex’s biggest cheerleader, had a colorful reply to a reporter’s question about the range’s finances: “Pick any (expletive) park that’s broken even. Call me back when you find one.”

The shooting complex is not a park — not even an (expletive) park. You can shoot baskets at your local public park for free. You have to pay to shoot at the Clark County Shooting Complex. That effectively makes the complex a business, an enterprise that should generate revenue. That was the goal when it opened.

Considering privately run Las Vegas shooting ranges are profitable, it’s unreasonable to expect taxpayers to continue biting the bullet to keep the county complex open.