Less is more

Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins has redefined the expression "less is more."

Mr. Collins spent the bulk of Tuesday's commission meeting moaning about the county's $1.5 billion general fund budget for 2008-09. He grumbled about the lack of funding for needed road improvements and building repairs. He clamored for fines and fees on businesses to generate more revenue. He agonized that public services would wither under such a limited spending plan.

"We're doing a whole lot with less, but we're doing it slower," a somber Mr. Collins said. "How do we turn it around and start doing something better instead of doing something less?"

The former legislator would have the taxpaying public believe that Clark County government, like the state bureaucracy, is awash in red ink and budget cuts. By any definition, the word "less" would indicate that county spending actually declined from the previous year.

In fact, the 2008-09 budget summary projects a revenue increase of 5.8 percent. Despite an economic downturn that has left homes foreclosed, employees facing reduced hours or layoffs and taxpayers cutting costs to cover higher energy and food prices, county government anticipates tens of millions of dollars in additional property tax collections because of assessed valuation growth.

So when Mr. Collins says "less," he really means "more."

But why all the whining? Why, when county government continues to grow like gangbusters, are Mr. Collins and fellow commissioners throwing a pity party?

Because Mr. Collins and the rest of the Clark County Commission have no interest in controlling personnel costs. Last year, commissioners approved labor contracts that award annual average pay increases of between 7 and 8 percent at a cost of $23.2 million this year and $19 million in each of the next two years. By then, the average county employee will be paid $60,000 per year.

As a result, operating costs swallow a greater and greater share of the general fund and reduce the revenue available for capital improvements, such as new parks and recreation facilities.

Within a few years, employee salaries and benefits will mushroom to the point that they consume all new revenues, leaving no funding for new hires or capital improvements, at all.

Of course, personnel costs and pay raises weren't brought up at Tuesday's meeting.

As Carson City grapples with actual revenue shortfalls, some state lawmakers are growing envious of Clark County's continued revenue growth -- and disgusted with the giveaways to county workers. They're eyeing a tax "restructuring" that would shift even more money from Clark County to the state as part of the 2009 Legislature's budget solution.

If they get their way, Mr. Collins might find out that "less" can actually mean "less."