Surplus funds keep city solvent during crisis

Mathis Winkler

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2002 | 9:52 a.m.

North Las Vegas seems to have avoided a financial hit in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, and City Council members gave some of the credit to outgoing Finance Director Vytas Vaitkus during a mid-year budget review Tuesday.

Council members are expected to approve almost $934,000 in additional spending Feb. 20. The money comes from about $3.4 million left over from the 2000-2001 fiscal year, which ended in June.

"God Bless Vytas Vaitkus," Councilwoman Shari Buck said. "He has really done well for our city."

She added that Vaitkus' conservative budgeting had kept the city in good financial shape, despite a drop in sales and other tax revenue since Sept. 11.

Vaitkus, 51, who is undergoing cancer treatment, did not attend the meeting.

"The city of North Las Vegas has been very good to me. I've done the best job I could but now that's a phase that's behind me," Vaitkus said from his home Tuesday night.

After working for finance departments in Santa Clara County, Calif., and Carson City, Vaitkus joined the city as finance director in 1983.

His resignation is effective Feb. 28, and City Manager Kurt Fritsch said he would begin advertising the position in the next few days. An acting finance director has not been named.

Vaitkus "is going to be missed in this city," Councilman William Robinson said.

"I hope that God sees fit to keep him around," Robinson said.

The leftover money will be spent mostly on onetime purchases, such as new computers, remodeling of the police department's lobby and replastering the Hartke swimming pool next to the city's old recreation center.

Fritsch had originally planned to recommend the purchase of a new fire engine and the renovation of the old recreation center, but said he decided to hold off on those expenses until the 2002-03 budget.

In previous years city officials used most of the leftover money to hire new employees, but Fritsch said he wanted to keep a financial cushion as a cautionary measure and avoid ongoing expenses such as salaries.