Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Henderson, NLV struggle to add emergency personnel

North Las Vegas and Henderson would see more police and firefighters under proposed budgets expected to be voted on by the city councils next month, but it may be just enough to keep up with growth.

North Las Vegas would add 30 employees to its police department and 15 firefighters, while Henderson would add six firefighter/paramedics and eight police officers, officials said.

The additions won't significantly affect the number of uniformed officers per 1,000 residents in either city, officials in both said. North Las Vegas has about 1.6 officers per 1,000 residents; Henderson has about 1.1.

"We should be adding two officers a month," North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon said.

The budgets proposed by the city managers from both cities also call for no tax increases for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The North Las Vegas budget calls for increasing building permit fees, which would have to approved separately by the council, but otherwise both budgets include no other fee or rate increases.

The annual spending plans for both cities are expected to be voted on by the city councils on May 20, following public hearings on the budgets scheduled for that day. North Las Vegas' hearing begins at 4 p.m. and Henderson's begins at 7 p.m., in the respective city halls.

The proposed additions for the North Las Vegas departments would bring on the necessary staff to open a new police substation and a new fire station in early 2004, police and fire officials said Wednesday.

The police department would add 30 new employees to its staff of 330 officers and civilian employees, which will allow the department to fully staff a new $5.1 million police substation scheduled to open in May 2004 on the corner of Allen Lane and Washburn Road, department spokesman Justin Roberts said.

Henderson Police spokesman Shane Lewis said there are no specific plans for where the additional eight officers would be placed.

Henderson Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers said the proposed increase to the police force is relatively small compared with the 200 officers over seven years proposed as part of 2000 and 2001 bond issues that were rejected by city voters.

"But I think we're going at a good pace," she said. "We have to live within our means."

The proposed additions of police and firefighters show that public safety remains a top priority for city officials, she said.

The proposed hiring of 15 additional North Las Vegas firefighters would give the city enough staff to open a new fire station in April 2004 within the new Aliante master-planned community, Fire Chief Jim Stubler said. The fire department now has 112 firefighters.

In Henderson the proposed additional six firefighters/paramedics would allow the city to replace two part-time ambulances with an ambulance that would be staffed around the clock, Fire Chief Jim Cavalieri said. This increase would give the city five 24-hour ambulances, which the chief said are needed to deal with increases in service calls.

Emergency medical calls have grown from 11,100 in 2001 to 11,500 in last year. Cavalieri said he expects those calls for service will be between 12,000 and 12,500 this year.

Cyphers and Montandon said they both expect the proposed budgets for their cities will be adopted with little to no changes.

"Overall nothing really stood out," Cyphers said. "I didn't see any red flags as I was going through it."

Montandon said he wasn't surprised the proposed budget came with no tax increase, even though in January city staff said the council may be forced to consider raising taxes. He said the council as a whole is very much against tax increases and has shared that with staff members who prepared the proposed budget.

Montandon said he expected the council to pass the budget pretty much as it was proposed.

"I expect virtually no tinkering," he said.

There are some relatively minor budget items Montandon said he would like to change, but he hasn't found a way to afford them. For example, the mayor said he would like the city to replace a third of the more than 100 city police cars every year so that the city doesn't find itself someday having to replace more than it can afford.

Overall the North Las Vegas proposed budget is $340.4 million for all funds, including a $110.4 million general fund, which pays for general city services such as police, fire and public works.

The proposed general fund is about $15.7 million higher than this year's general fund. City Finance Director Phil Stoeckinger said the increase is largely due to annual increases to employee wages and the proposal to add 50 full-time positions to the city's general fund work force of about 1,233.

Also, the city's general fund expenditures are proposed to be $6 million above annual revenues, which will be offset by the city's fund balance, which is money left over from previous years.

Henderson's total proposed $377.7 million spending plan includes a proposed $157.5 million general fund. Henderson's general fund revenues are proposed to be about $4 million less than expenditures, with the difference being made up by the city's fund balance.

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