County faces tough choices

It's like trying to feed a starving family with a small loaf of bread.

That's how Clark County leaders characterized the task of using a projected budget to fund projects and services that will meet the needs of a growing population.

A rising demand for services is straining agencies that have not increased staffing in five to seven years, and financial constraints will make it difficult to add jobs, county commissioners were told at a workshop Wednesday as they reviewed a preliminary budget of almost $1.4 billion for fiscal 2009.

County staffers listed nearly $554 million in new capital improvements that they said are necessary, such as office equipment, park upgrades and building repairs. But there is only $43 million to spend on the requests.

Officials place the blame for the county's waning revenue growth partly on a slowdown in home building and on the state's $900 million shortfall causing some funding from Carson City to shrink or evaporate.

"We're going to have to make difficult choices," Commissioner Rory Reid said after the meeting.

Commissioners will hold at least one more workshop before voting on the final budget in May.

For years, the general fund covered 8 percent to 10 percent of the money in the capital budget, but this year, the contribution fell to 4 percent, the lowest since the 1990s, said George Stevens, the county's finance director.

The general fund is made up largely of property taxes and fees collected.

Stevens pointed to a chart showing how assessed values on properties grew at a rate of almost 39 percent last year before falling to 18.6 percent this year. In 2008, the growth rate is expected to plunge to 5.4 percent.

Officials predict that taxes collected on properties will rise by 10.6 percent, while other government fees will drop for a net gain of 3.6 percent in general-fund revenue.

That's barely enough for the county to tread water in its daily operations, Reid said.

If the state follows through in letting casinos write off complimentary meals given to visitors, the county could lose $25 million to $30 million initially, and $10 million annually after that, Stevens said.

To cover the $60 million spent last year to bail out the financially strapped University Medical Center, the county will leave 350 jobs vacant, Reid said, noting that it translates to 8 percent of the jobs paid for by the general fund.

During the discussion, it was noted that labor costs consume the bulk of the budget.

Last year, the average annual salary for a Clark County government worker was just under $50,000, or about 30 percent more than the $38,000 average salary made by private sector workers in Southern Nevada.

The county, however, can't sidestep state-mandated hiring of court personnel.

Nine judges will be added to various courts, along with 70 other court employees, at a cost of $5.17 million.

Funding also was discussed for the detention center for low-level offenders. About 125 workers will be hired initially for $11.8 million to run the center in 2009, and the county will lease the building for $12 million annually.

An additional 50 workers will be hired at the center in 2010 at a cost of $4.8 million.

A judge at the meeting bemoaned how juvenile justice agencies are buckling under a mounting load in which parole officers are handling as many as 75 cases each, more than double the ideal ratio.

If parole officers are this burdened, they can't properly monitor the young offenders, who could then slip back into criminal behavior, Judge William Voy told commissioners.

"That is unacceptable," Voy said. "Public safety is being jeopardized by this continued practice."

Voy recommended hiring 15 more parole officers and two supervisors for a combined cost of just under $1 million. He also asked that some capital improvements be made for $800,000.

Commissioner Tom Collins said, "We have a probation department that needs improvement so it can be responsive to the community."

Commissioner Lawrence Weekly agreed that the program should be bolstered, even if a trade-off must be made within the capital budget.

"Forgo something in the future in return for saving a life," Weekly said.

Officials at other agencies as well as UMC told of how staffing has stayed at the same level while demand for services has mushroomed. Most received the clear message that, given the lean budget, they'll have to make do this year.

"We recognize what you do on a daily basis," Reid said. "We want to do more for you, so you can help those people. This is a difficult year for the county."

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.