Contentious Keller offers budget defense to council

Denise Cardinal

Tuesday, May 12, 1998 | 9:51 a.m.

Metro Police Sheriff Jerry Keller explained his budget request for fiscal 1999 by interrupting council members and responding to criticism with an 18-page report at Monday's Las Vegas City Council meeting.

During a previous meeting, at which Keller was not present, council members criticized Metro's budget request and asked that an outside audit be conducted before agreeing to shell out its $70 million share. Metro's funding eats up the single largest chunk of the city's budget.

The city's portion of the budget is an 8 percent increase from last year's request. Metro also is asking Clark County for about $93 million to pay for its share of police services -- an 8 percent increase for the county as well.

Overall Metro's budget request comes to almost $212 million, with the remainder paid for through a ballot initiative tax override that was passed in 1988 and also in 1996.

Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald, a Metro officer, along with other members of the council complained about paying millions while not seeing any effects in the neighborhoods of their constituencies.

"I just can't get patrol down in my ward," said City Councilman Gary Reese, who represents parts of East Las Vegas and West Las Vegas. "But then I see that they send bike patrol down to Laughlin. When I had a meeting and an officer was there, he told some business owners who were complaining about the crime that maybe they should get a security guard. The (business owner) said to me, maybe I should stop paying my taxes."

Keller responded defensively to the statements made by the council, often interrupting members in mid-sentence. He insisted that any questions that the council had could be answered in an 18-page document he provided or that he would personally explain any problems to the council or citizens.

"My door is always open," he said. "My phone number is printed in the phone book."

Specifically, Keller said that the number of police officers has increased by 25 percent while at the same time the number of administrators has only increased by 14 percent.

"We've done more with less," he told the council, disputing accusations that his department was top-heavy and a haven for pencil-pushers. "I think Sgt. Dixon, who has four medals of valor, didn't earn those sitting behind a desk."

Keller also said that he would credit the city $236,000 of the funding request if it took over the crossing guard function Metro now handles.

Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones mentioned to Keller that the city would be paying for an audit of Metro to be conducted by a firm that recently looked at the Reno police department. Jones said it wasn't a financial review as much as it was an examination of how the police were being used. She said she has already directed staff to pursue the company -- David M. Griffin.

Keller said he is "excited" about an audit because it will show that Metro is one of the best run departments in the country.

"We're partners with the community," he said. "We have the most scrutinized budget in the state."

The budget is scheduled for approval this month.