Henderson Council approves 2001 budget with more for parks

Greg Harman

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Henderson homeowners will pay about 1 percent more on their property taxes in the coming fiscal year, but for their money they will get three new parks, improvements to an old one and more employees at City Hall.

The Henderson City Council on Tuesday swiftly approved the city's budget for fiscal year 2001, which begins July 1, as well as a budget for its redevelopment agency.

The $315 million city budget provides for several new parks and expands city staff and salaries.

Residents can expect a $5 million, 26-acre sports complex at the intersection of Russell Road and Stephanie Street in the coming year, Dirk Richwine, assistant director for Henderson Parks and Recreation, said. New parks are also scheduled to open in the Mission Hills and Sonata neighborhoods, and improvements are planned for O'Callaghan Park later this year.

Money to build parks has quadrupled in the past two years. The city budgeted only $260,000 for capital expenditures on parks in fiscal 1999. It plans to spend $1.3 million in fiscal 2001. Money to run the parks has risen 50 percent in the same time frame.

Overall, the city's recreation budget has grown 18 percent, from $2.2 million in fiscal 1999 to $2.6 million in fiscal 2001.

But the city is spending less on other capital improvement projects.

Money spent on street paving dropped from $280,000 in fiscal 1999 to $125,000 in fiscal 2001. Money for street lighting fell from $195,000 to $72,000, and city-financed flood-control projects dropped from $688,000 to nothing in the same time frame.

Extra funding for the budget will come from a penny rise in the property tax rate that will cost homeowners $2 more next year for a $100,000 house.

The new rate will be 71.08 cents per $100 property valuation, up from 70.4 cents in fiscal 2000. It's just a little more than fiscal 1999's rate of 70.81 cents per $100 valuation.

Salaries and wages will take up most of the 2001 budget. City employee salaries are scheduled to go up 4 percent, and the number of employees is growing from 1,375 two years ago to 1,554 in the coming year, City Manager Phil Speight said.

Council members also approved the redevelopment agency's budget of $7.2 million -- $1.5 million of that for salaries.

City property taxes and other income are expected to bring in only $1.9 million to the agency. The $5.2 million difference will be drawn from the agency's general fund, leaving an estimated $6.6 million in the ending fund balance at the next fiscal year. Greg Harman

covers Henderson and Boulder City for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-8814 or by e-mail at harman@lasvegassun.com