Editorial: City Hall regaining its senses

Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999 | 10:20 a.m.

Common sense finally prevailed at City Hall when Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday that the city would no longer pursue seceding from the jointly funded, city-county Metro Police Department. For three agonizing weeks valley residents and Metro Police officers worried about the possible breakup of what is considered a well-run police department.

Shortly after taking office earlier this year, Goodman ordered city staff to undertake an efficiency study of all city services, including those provided by Metro Police. Unfortunately this review quickly degenerated into an undertaking to determine whether the city could save money if it established its own police department. And instead of openly discussing this possibility with Metro Police or Clark County government, which both would naturally be affected by a divorce, the city decided to perform its review in secret -- until it was leaked three weeks ago that a preliminary assessment estimated $15 million in annual savings could be achieved if the city had its own police force. No one took seriously that this much money could be saved -- without also seriously jeopardizing public safety -- but the city's embrace of deconsolidation unnerved valley resi dents.

The next question, now that this foolish effort has been scuttled after a public outcry, is whether this will have a damaging impact on attempts to unite other government services. Taxpayers have seen the benefits of efficiency and improved service of valleywide agencies, whether it's flood control projects, mass transportation, water delivery or public safety. The irony of Las Vegas' aborted effort to bail out of Metro Police is that historically it has been the city -- not the county -- that has sought the linking of government services.

Despite the two local governments' animosity, which was exacerbated by the city's failed efforts to break away from Metro Police, city and county officials should sit down like adults and find ways to make government work more efficiently for Southern Nevadans. Local governments should resist the natural tug of empire building and renew their efforts to investigate other government services that deserve to be consolidated.