Council passes Henderson budget

The Henderson City Council has approved a $617.1 million spending plan for the coming fiscal year, an increase of almost $44 million over the current budget.

There will be 45 full-time staff positions added under the new budget, which runs from July 1 to June 30, 2009.

The budget includes the operating and personnel costs for the first phase of Heritage Park at Burkholder Boulevard and Racetrack Road. The Heritage Senior Center and Aquatics Complex will break ground in July and should open in summer 2009.

The operating and personnel costs for the North Police Substation, 225 E. Sunset Road, also will come from the 2009 budget. Construction of the police station started in September 2007 and is expected to be completed this summer.

Officials credited careful planning and frugal financial practices as reasons Henderson is able to add people and increase its budget while other government entities face cuts.

Through the first nine months of the current fiscal year, Nevada's second largest city under-spent its budget by almost $6 million.

"This demonstrates that even in difficult times, you can make do and live within your means and continue to have success," Mayor Jim Gibson said before the budget vote.

Richard Derrick, Henderson's budget and strategic management manager, said the city has been able to come in under budget so far by reallocating funds and holding staff vacancies open when they became available.

Henderson's total budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, is $573.2 million.

The city's operating costs, including salaries, come from its general fund, which will be $237.9 million in fiscal year 2009, up from $224.4 million in the current budget.

Public safety will receive the largest portion of the general fund at 50 percent.

The council approved the spending plan in a 4-0 vote cast Tuesday night. Councilman Jack Clark was absent from the meeting.