Sharp cuts necessary for county

Clark County will have $114 million less to cover operating costs in 2009-10 than it did the year before and must take drastic steps to balance the budget in the weak economy, officials said Tuesday.

The two biggest culprits are the $55 million decline in tax revenue and the additional $50 million the county must throw at University Medical Center's ballooning debt.

In a workshop, county commissioners heard a list of remedies that would cut costs by $70 million, such as reducing pay raises, leaving jobs vacant and delaying the opening of the new low-level offenders' jail.

County leaders still must determine how to shave another $44 million from the budget, which by law must be balanced and submitted to the state by May 18. Last year's general fund budget -- fed mostly by tax dollars -- was about $1.4 billion.

The next round of cost-cutting will be more painful and demand intense discussions, said Don Burnette, the county's chief administrative officer.

"The choices that lie before us are the difficult ones," Burnette said.

This task could prove even more challenging because three commissioners spoke against keeping the low-level offenders' jail closed to save $16 million.

Commissioners Tom Collins, Larry Brown and Steve Sisolak said they favored opening at least part of the 1,038-bed jail in the northeast valley.

"Public safety is our highest priority," Brown said.

Sisolak said the county must somehow defray the costs to taxpayers. He asked county staff to research whether the $12 million criminal forfeiture fund could be used to help pay for the jail.

Meanwhile, UMC's debt will soar to at least $80 million next fiscal year, partly because of cuts in Medicaid and the indigent accident fund, officials say.

About $12.8 million less in property tax money will flow into the general fund. An assortment of taxes was also down, causing an additional $42 million loss.

To help fill the holes, the county will keep 600 jobs vacant to save almost $34 million. Union workers will vote Friday on whether to accept smaller pay raises for a savings of $9.6 million. And the county would scuttle its redevelopment program to save $5.5 million.

Collins warned about going too far with a hiring freeze.

"Can we still function properly or are we going to wind up in no man's land, with a bunch of rules and nobody enforcing them?" he asked.

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