Local governments spent $3.3 million on lobbying Legislature

CARSON CITY — Local government entities spent just over $3.3 million on lobbying lawmakers in the just-concluded 2015 legislative session, a report released Tuesday by the Nevada Department of Taxation shows.

The summary report of lobbying expenditures, required by state law, shows that total spending by counties, cities, schools and other local government entities increased by about $200,000 from the 2013 session when just under $3.1 million was spent.

All Clark County government entities reported spending $2.24 million in total, including $427,000 by the county and $930,000 by the county’s incorporated cities. Clark County schools reported spending $275,000.

In all, seven of Nevada’s counties reported spending $913,000 on lobbying the Legislature, compared to $1.2 million by 10 of the state’s incorporated cities. The other counties and cities reported no spending on lobbying activities.

Las Vegas spent just under $500,000 on lobbying. North Las Vegas spent $126,000 and Henderson spent $229,000. The Southern Nevada Water Authority spent just under $112,000, while the Metropolitan Police Department spent $167,000.

Some local government entities use their own staff to lobby on bills and the budget during a session. Others hire professional firms.

This was the third year that local government lobbying costs increased. In 2005, the total cost was $2.58 million. But there have been sessions where the amount spent was much higher than in 2015. In the 2007 session, local governments spent just under $4 million.

University of Nevada, Reno political science professor Eric Herzik said that given the Legislature’s centralized power over much of local government, entities have no choice but to send lobbyists to Carson City every other year.

Nevada local governments have home rule in name only, he said.

“Local governments truly are creatures of the state in Nevada,” Herzik said.

School districts might be the big local government winners in the session, and basically served to push most of Sandoval’s education reform agenda, he said.

“But I don’t see anyone crying foul,” Herzik said.

The Legislature’s decision to repeal local government gun regulations might have been something local elected officials did not want to deal with anyway, he said.

Most of the expenses are for travel, lodging and the salaries of the lobbyists. Those who work directly for local governments would be paid their salaries whether they were lobbying the Legislature or performing other duties.

Clark County, for example, had five employees register as lobbyists for the county for the session. But a separate lobbyist also registered to represent the Clark County Department of Family Services and there were others for various departments and divisions. The Clark County School District also used four of its own employees as lobbyists in the Legislature.

North Las Vegas relied primarily on contract lobbyists to represent the city.

As to the tangible benefits to local governments from having lobbying teams on the ground in Carson City, the results are not always so clear.

The school district was undoubtedly a winner given all the new public schools funding sought by Gov. Brian Sandoval and approved by the Legislature. The district also got a school bond rollover bill approved early on in the session that will result in more money for new school construction.

County governments did win some home rule authority with the passage of Senate Bill 29. The measure allows counties to take some actions without the express approval of the Legislature that is normally required.

North Las Vegas also was the beneficiary of Assembly Bill 497, which gave the city a vehicle to bring in the infrastructure needed to develop the Apex Industrial site.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.