Where I Stand — Brian Greenspun: Mayor’s words relevant

Mayor Oran Gragson

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002 | 8:59 a.m.

Former Mayor Oran Gragson passed away last week at the age of 91. During his long life and throughout his extensive service as the mayor of Las Vegas, he gained an experience and perspective that most people would envy. In reading through some of his guest columns that he wrote for the Las Vegas Sun, I came across the following one written on Aug. 22, 1965. It is must reading. Not only will readers learn what public officials were concerned about 37 years ago, they will also understand how those same issues, if not resolved, will continue to be a burden on government and its ability to function.

The subject in 1965 was consolidation. It is still not done, although some strides have been made, and the public is still the loser. Oran Gragson's voice has been stilled, but his words scream out for the attention they deserved then and still, decades later, deserve now.

"IT IS A REAL pleasure to be among those public officials and civic leaders over our state who have been invited to 'pinch hit' for Hank Greenspun while he and his family soak up the salt air and sunshine at their oceanside vacation retreat.

"I welcome this opportunity to express my thoughts on a matter of great concern not only to your elected officials but, I am sure, of equal concern to all citizens of Las Vegas and all of Clark County: How do we stretch the tax dollar to meet the ever increasing financial requirements of government?

"Getting maximum return on every tax dollar spent is a very serious challenge and in my opinion, presents probably the most important problem with which public officials are faced. I believe the time is fast approaching when we will be forced to meet this challenge with revolutionary changes and totally new concepts of government.

"In what we know as the Las Vegas Valley, I believe the logical and ultimate answer has to be a consolidation of governmental entities -- one city, one municipal government, if you will.

"How much longer can the citizens of our metropolitan area afford the 'luxury' of overlapping and duplicated governmental functions and the costly burdens of three, four or five administrative controls which could be combined into one?

"Tremendous savings and increased efficiency could be achieved in virtually all areas of government through a centralization of the now separate political and economic structures.

"Public transit, water supplies, street and highway construction, sanitary sewer systems, drainage and flood control, health, welfare, recreation, smog control, communications, fire protection, crime prevention and law enforcement, purchasing and warehousing, long-term financing through bond issues, uniformity in building codes, zoning -- all are among the major responsibilities of the several governmental or quasi-governmental entities within the Las Vegas Valley -- and all could be handled by one governmental structure with vast economies for the taxpayers.

"In the field of purchasing, warehousing and distribution, for example, hundreds of thousands of dollars could be saved through a combined purchase power of the now separate entities which buy in lesser quantities and at much greater per unit costs. From pencils to paper clips to typewriters to trucks and all other supplies and materials and contractual services which governmental units require, savings through centralization would be tremendous.

"In the area of law enforcement, the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas each has its own police department and the county has its sheriff's department. All three law enforcement agencies function under separate administrations, each has its own detention facilities, its own records section, its own vehicles and many items of emergency equipment.

"Consolidating law enforcement throughout the Las Vegas Valley would not, of course, diminish the need for police protection, but it would increase the efficiency and in fact give a higher degree of crime prevention and law enforcement at greatly lowered costs.

"The public works departments of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Clark County each has hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in heavy machinery, trucks, pick-ups, cars, power equipment and the hundreds of items necessary to this phase of government.

"One entity may own a very very costly piece of equipment which, because of limited, specialized use, may sit idle much of the time. Yet if another entity needs an identical unit, another must be purchased. So instead of getting maximum usage from one unit, we end up with two, or three or four that are used only part of the time.

"Although strides have been taken to achieve uniformity in building codes and in the construction of streets and off-site improvements, the public can never realize the maximum economies plus other benefits until these functions are consolidated.

"The problem could be illustrated in as many ways as there are governmental functions now being performed by the separate entities.

"Rising costs of living which affect every taxpayer also affect your government. I believe we are reaching the limit on the tax burdens which can be placed on the public and we will be forced to accept economies in government, one way or another.

"I would not expect, as a public official myself, that what I am suggesting will meet with immediate popular acclaim. But as a taxpayer and businessman as well, I believe the public will share in my feeling that we can no longer justify needless duplication of government and the resultant waste of precious tax dollars.

"When political boundary lines tend to defeat the very purposes for which they were established, then is the time to erase those lines in order that maximum benefits may be achieved at the lowest possible cost.

"One of the more interesting and still remaining big questions is what happens to those elective positions which would be abolished. This, too, has what I believe to be a logical and wholly realistic -- though not necessarily politically popular -- answer.

"Once the necessary legislative machinery could be set up to effect a consolidation, all political offices to be affected would be declared vacated as of a certain date, and new primary and general elections held.

"The 'mayor' or 'chairman' of the new governing body should be elected at large, with the two candidates receiving the highest votes in a primary election to run in a general election.

"Other member of the new governing body should be elected by district, established on a population basis to assure equal representation throughout. Again, the two top candidates in each district, selected by primary ballot, would compete in a general election.

"Could it work? Will it ever come about in Clark County?

"It could and I believe it will if the public is presented a clear analysis of our taxing situation. The dollars and cents facts of governmental life will sooner or later bring a public demand for a change, regardless of the political consequences, in my opinion.

"In the weeks and months ahead, 'metropolitan government' is likely to become a keen topic for discussion. I would greatly appreciate letters with your expressions on this matter."