Editorial: Fresh look at county overdue

Friday, Aug. 3, 2001 | 9:32 a.m.

It is encouraging that new Clark County Manager Thom Reilly wants to review county government's efficiency. The County Commission gave Reilly the authority to name six people to a committee that will report on ways that government may be streamlined. Reilly appointed mainly individuals who have worked in government and understand how Clark County government operates, but one downside is that most of them also are politically connected and are consultants, lobbyists or work for public relations firms.

Bob Forbuss, who formerly ran Mercy Ambulance and is the ex-chairman of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the committee, but it's unfortunate that the panel lacks individuals who are, or have been, CEOs of large businesses that are comparable in size to county government. Making a large, lumbering bureaucracy work efficiently is much different than running a smaller enterprise, and the committee could have benefited from such expertise.

Reilly says that this committee, which is to report back in the short period of 90 days, is just the starting point so that he can tackle those areas that need immediate attention. And it is promising that Reilly says there will be times when he'll reach out to businesses to get their input on how to make county government run better and more efficiently. Still, the County Commission should consider appointing a separate commission of business, government and community leaders to take a comprehensive review of county government. Clark County government can't be remade overnight, but this is a golden opportunity to assess whether fundamental changes can be made that will make government more efficient and responsive.