Metro budget request raises flags in city

Denise Cardinal

Tuesday, April 21, 1998 | 9:45 a.m.

Citing a top-heavy administration and a need for more financial accountability within Metro Police, the Las Vegas City Council Monday discussed hiring an outside auditor before proceeding further with Metro's request for $70 million in fiscal year 1999, an 8 percent increase.

During a budget workshop Monday, the need for an audit was first cited by Metro Police Officer and City Councilman Michael McDonald. The whole City Council agreed with McDonald's assessment that Metro's spending needs independent review.

The outside auditor, if the City Council decides to hire one, would evaluate every single Metro Police expenditure.

McDonald angrily noted that Sheriff Jerry Keller gave every councilman, except himself, a copy of Metro's proposed budget in advance of Monday's workshop. Keller did not attend the workshop, nor did any representative of Metro Police. Keller did not return a phone call this morning.

The state Ethics Commission and the city attorney have previously decided that McDonald, even though he is a police officer and Keller is his boss, may review funding requests in his capacity as a city councilman. The commission and city attorney, however, have also ruled that any vote cast on a Metro budget by McDonald would e a conflict of interest.

Metro Police is funded jointly by Clark County and the city of Las Vegas. Both the County Commission and the City Council must approve the budget before it can be adopted. While Metro's request from the city represents an 8 percent increase, its request to the county for $142 million represents a 15 percent increase.

McDonald's main complaint is that Metro Police appears to have more administrators and civilians than necessary, at the expense of street cops.

"You can't pay enough for safety but we need to make sure we aren't building kingdoms," McDonald said.

According to McDonald, Metro would be doubling its management positions under its proposed budget while adding only 100 patrol officers.

Addressing the increase in the hiring of civilians since Keller took office in 1995, Metro Comptroller Lois Roethel acknowledged in an earlier interview with the SUN that Metro, " has civilianized to a greater degree than most other agencies."

Metro Police officials themselves are expressing alarm over their budget situation.

An April 4 memo to supervisors at Metro's Northeast Area Command from Capt. Randy Oaks reflects the budget constraints Metro is under.

"We, LVMPD, are in the RED. We have a shortage of funds to cover the expenses for running this operation for the remainder of this fiscal year," Oaks wrote. "We must all do our part to get through this crisis."

The city's entire proposed budget for fiscal 1999, which begins July 1, is $261 million, a 7.8 percent increase. Funding for Metro is the biggest chunk of the city's budget.

McDonald wasn't the only City Council member complaining.

Mayor Jan Laverty Jones wanted to know why the city should pay 8 percent more than last fiscal year when Metro can't even keep the city's school crossings staffed with civilian crossing guards.

"We could take that function over," she said, "but we also want to make sure our payment reflects that."

As far as records show, neither the city nor the county have ever refused Metro's funding request, which, combined, has increased by 15 percent over last year. Deputy City Manager Steve Houchens, however, said the city has the authority to turn down Metro's request, thus forcing the department to re-submit a different proposal for approval.

The final budget has until July 1 to be approved.

Other items discussed on the city's proposed budget included:

* The addition of 49 new positions, which would bring the total number of city employees to 2,340. Of the 40 general fund positions, 12 were for new firefighters, and the remaining 28 were for paramedics. Nine were for assorted additions for various departments.

* The city is expecting a growth in revenues of less than 6 percent -- a sharp drop when compared to double-digit growth in revenues for the past few years.

* The addition of an express inspection team for the building inspection department. This department would pay for itself by charging $75 an hour for inspectors to get on site within a day.

* Raising user and park impact fees for the Parks and Leisure Department. Current fees are based on 1989 figures, said Dave Kuiper, parks director.

SUN REPORTER Cathy Scott contributed to this story.