Guinn panel proposes cuts in predecessor’s pet projects

Friday, Oct. 13, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A task force appointed by Gov. Kenny Guinn to make state government more efficient has started to chip away at some of the educational and social hallmarks of his predecessor, Gov. Bob Miller.

Changes were recommended by the committee to water down the class-size reduction program in public schools, the Family to Family project and the Office of Science and Technology.

The committee, during its seven-hour meeting Thursday, voted on suggestions to make some wide sweeping changes in state government, switch some tasks to private industry and move some programs to local government.

Costly proposal

While the committee's goal was to save money, it made some suggestions that will cost millions of dollars. For instance, it agreed to recommend to Guinn that the upper salary level of state workers be raised one grade at a cost of $12 million to $14 million. It may cost between $4 million and $5 million for an in-depth study and implementation of putting all tax collections under the state Department of Taxation.

After the meeting, Deputy State Budget Director Don Hataway, said sometimes it costs money to get prepared to achieve the savings.

"You may have to spend money to make money," said Hataway, co-chairman of the task force, called the Governor's Steering Committee to Conduct a Fundamental Review of State Government.

This was the final meeting of the committee's year-long effort. Denice Miller, Guinn's policy chief, was co-chairwoman of the group.

Gov. Miller (no relation to Denice Miller) fought hard during his administration for the program to lower the size of grades 1-3 to 16 students to one teacher. The committee suggested school districts be allowed to use the money earmarked for class-size reduction to achieve a pupil-teacher ratio of 20-22 to 1 in kindergarten through the fifth or sixth grade.

Hataway said this will allow the districts the flexibility to try programs that produce quality students. A demonstration project is now under way in Elko County.

Committee member Dale Erquiaga of Las Vegas said the current system is not true class-size reduction because in order to obtain the lower teacher-student ratio many schools were simply putting a second teacher in the classroom, meaning the true class size continued to remain at 30-plus students.

Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Minden, said the state would have had to build 1,100 classrooms just to accommodate the 16-1 ratio in the primary grades.

The recommendation also includes money, estimated to be $400,000, for a study of the effectiveness of the class-size reduction program.

Denice Miller said the most controversial suggestion calls for consolidating the state's Family-to-Family program with local Family Resource Centers. The state's program, started by Gov. Miller, was aimed at giving parents help in raising their children.

Cynthia Freeman, head of the Family to Family program that covers three counties, with headquarters in Fallon, said the goals of the two programs are different. She said those who enter the Family to Family program would probably not go to the local resource centers, which concentrate on high-risk families.

Erquiaga said he was "offended" by that remark, which he interpreted to mean that many parents would not use resource centers because of their ethnic or socio-economic makeup.

Committee member Terry Murphy said the state is facing a $1 billion shortfall over the next 10 years.

"I don't believe the role of government is to provide services for those who can pay for them," Murphy said, referring to many middle-income parents who enroll in Family to Family.

Save $13 million

Hettrick said the consolidation would save the $13 million program rather than kill it.

"If there is consolidation, we will save some functions. We can't be all things to all people," he said.

The Miller administration also created the Office of Science and Technology, which was placed under the governor's office. It was then shifted to the University of Nevada. The task force recommended it be placed under the state Commission on Economic Development.

Hataway said there has been only one full-time science director since the office was created in 1995, and she only stayed 12-15 months.

"The office is not operational," he said. "It may not be needed."

Hataway said the money could be switched to the economic development program to promote science and technology.

The committee recommended that the state Parole and Probation Division contract with private companies for the preparation of pre-sentence reports on convicted felons -- a move that might save $2 million a year.

Matching funds

The committee suggested that state grants going to local governments and nonprofit groups require 10 percent matching funds. Erquiaga questioned whether that matching requirement would apply to the "pork barrel projects" approved by the Legislature. At the end of the sessions, he said, lawmakers act like "Santa Claus" in doling out money to their favorite projects.

The committee suggested a change in the law to allow state agencies to send their printing to private companies rather than the state Printing Division, but the division would be given the chance to bid on all the jobs.

The state Housing Division would become a semi-private agency, and its employees would still be in the state pension system.

The committee recommended that the state transfer its plan review and permitting responsibilities for fire codes to county government or to pursue inter-local agreements with the counties.