Mineral County leads state in fed money

Ken McCall

Tuesday, June 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

When it comes to landing federal money, nobody in the state did it better last year than the folks in Mineral County.

The tiny county, with a population of less than 6,000, cashed federal checks totaling more than $76 million, according to a SUN analysis of newly released data from the federal Census Bureau, making them by far tops in the state in per capita federal spending.

In fact, the Census report revealed, Mineral County ranked 38th among the nation's 3,137 counties in federal spending per person during fiscal year 1995.

Clark County, meanwhile, topped the state in total federal spending with $4.04 billion. That's 53 times more total dollars than Mineral, but only one third as much when you figure in the population difference.

Arlo Funk, Mineral County Commission chairman, was surprised to hear his sleepy county ranks so high in the nation.

"I guess we'll accept that, though," said the retired school administrator. "I guess that sounds good."

The reason for Mineral's ranking, Funk said, is the mammoth Hawthorne Army Depot and its operating contractor, Day and Zimmerman Hawthorne Corp.

The 147,000-acre ammunition depot -- one of the largest in the world -- borders the county seat of Hawthorne on three sides and employs close to 800 people, 15 percent of the total county population.

"It's our only survival," said Funk.

"There's no basic industry here. We have a couple small mines, but they don't employ many people."

Funk said things were a little tense for a few years there when military bases around the nation were being considered for closure. But the Mineral County leader said the base looks to be on pretty solid ground now.

"They're working seven days a week 10 hours a day in certain areas," Funk said, "so there's a need for what they're doing."

In the meantime, he said, Mineral County thanks its stars that the depot and "DZ" are there.

"We need to get some of that tax money," Funk said.

Perhaps the state of Nevada should take some lessons.

Nevada ranked 43rd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia with $4,459 in federal spending per person. The Silver State got 43 percent less per capita than the highest state, Virginia, at $7,830 per person, and 12.2 percent less than Arizona, which had the nation's median of $5,081 per person.

California, maintained its reputation as the golden state, collecting more than $152 billion in 1995, one-third more than any other state. Figured on a per capita basis, however, California ranked only 31st in the nation with $4,853 and was also below Arizona.

The data was contained in a pair of Census Bureau reports on fiscal year 1995: "Federal Expenditures by State" and "Consolidated Federal Funds Report."

The reports document $1.4 trillion in domestic grants, benefits, subsidies, salaries and goods and services purchased by the federal government, but do not include interest on the national debt and other federal payments.

The per capita spending list is dominated by Virginia thanks to the combination of large military installations and the Washington suburbs in the northern part of the state. Maryland, also host to Washington suburbs, is second followed by New Mexico and Alaska.