Retiring judge makes cost-cutting suggestion: Eliminate my job

Memo to Las Vegas City Council: Retiring Municipal Judge Betsy Kolkoski has an idea. After she retires next spring, eliminate her job.

Don't interpret that to mean she's denigrating what she's done for nearly 11 years.

But she guesstimates one-fourth of her time is spent handling routine traffic issues. "Take traffic out of the courts and make it administrative," she said.

A second traffic commissioner would free up all the judges for criminal cases and specialty courts. It would be one way to save money and the Las Vegas City Council actually has the authority to eliminate her job.

"I tried to get it on, but met with nothing but opposition," she said Thursday.

The Las Vegas City Council won't take that recommendation now, partly because Deputy District Attorney Susan Roger, wife of District Attorney David Roger and a prosecutor in the gun crimes unit, is already committed to running for Kolkoski's seat next spring. This wouldn't be the time to eliminate a judgeship.

The council should consider taking Kolkoski's suggestion to heart down the line, and create more jobs as traffic commissioners rather than the more expensive judgeships.

The time for frank answers about how to improve an institution is when someone is leaving yet knows the system and its foibles.

Another Kolkoski idea: Change the criminal citations against dancers in the topless clubs into administrative fines against the owners. "Put the burden on the owners to stop it," she said, referring not to prostitution, but to lap dances that go further than they legally should.

Kolkoski, who has been a municipal judge since 2000 and became the first female chief judge in 2009, advocates 12-year term limits for judges. Term limits would stop judges from creating fiefdoms and from becoming arrogant, she said. However, this would take a change in the Nevada Constitution. Since voters already said no to term limits for judges, it's an idea unlikely to fly.

As chief judge, "I made a huge effort to preserve necessary services when the city was under pressure to cut, cut, cut." Recently, she eliminated night court, not because it wasn't a decent idea, but because the overtime costs for staffing night court went against the need to cut costs.

She's giving up a judgeship for the reason cited by every disgraced politician, to spend more time with family. Except, it's true. Playing with her baby granddaughter is high on her to-do list. So is traveling with her husband, Dick.

"I know I'm only 67 and have great chances of living a lot longer, but I want to measure the quality of my life," the judge said.

She has had health issues. "They're not life threatening, but they are a reminder we are finite." She wants to be able to walk the streets of Europe while she still can. Her first lengthy vacation earlier this year to Ireland and Scotland whetted her appetite for more travel, such as a trip to Germany and Poland.

For many, being a judge would be the pinnacle of success. But looking back, Kolkoski said, "in terms of impact, the years I worked for the state on elder abuse had more impact than being a judge."

For seven years, she was an elder rights attorney for the Nevada Division for Aging Services. The law was changed to include financial crimes against the elderly. Enforcement was beefed up. The division educated the public on the horrible reality that sometimes the predators against the elderly are family members and caregivers.

At a time when many leave their jobs, although not always voluntarily, it's still worthwhile to wonder: Is this the job where I had the most impact?

It may be just another stop along the way, as it is for Judge Kolkoski.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.