More state agency accountability sought
CARSON CITY — The state Senate's majority leader said today a bill that requires more financial accountability from government agencies would make those agencies run more efficiently as Nevada tries to recover from its current economic crisis.
SB346 calls for annual performance evaluations of agencies by the state budget director. Agencies would submit their own indicators used to evaluate programs, which would help the budget chief to determine their effectiveness and recommend changes.
"We don't want to just fund agencies and not hold them accountable," Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said, adding that the bill helps lawmakers as they move forward in trying to turn around the state's economy.
"During difficult times you have less to work with, so you have to be smarter with what you have," Horsford said after a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the bill. "So we're pushing agencies to think about how to work smarter."
Horsford said performance indicators help lawmakers understand what agencies are supposed to do. He said some agencies such as the Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles are clear about function and purpose, while others have an "arbitrary number or indicator that they just pull out."
