Metro seeks record budget for officers

Jen Lawson and Judy Odierna

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003 | 11:27 a.m.

Sheriff Bill Young asked for a 25 percent increase in funding Monday for the next fiscal year, one of the largest requests for extra funding in Metro's history.

The proposed $400 million budget would pay for 389 additional uniformed police officers and 146 civilian support personnel, including 30 more 911 operators.

The budget, submitted Monday to Metro's Fiscal Affairs Committee, reflects a shift in Metro's approach to budgetary matters under Young's leadership.

In the past Metro requested money based on what funds were available from the city and county. But this proposed budget reflects what Metro actually needs instead of what officials think they can get, Karen Keller, director of Metro's finance office, said.

"Sheriff Young thought it was critical to put on the table what our entire need for staffing is," Keller said. "This lets everyone know what the real need is, (as) opposed to what we think they will able to fund this year."

The request to hire 389 officers by June 2004 would put Metro at its goal of having 1.97 officers per 1,000 residents. Currently the ratio is 1.7 per 1,000.

George Stevens, the county's chief financial officer, said Metro's request would mean a 32 percent increase to the county and Las Vegas City Manager Doug Selby said it would mean a 35 percent increase for the city.

Stevens said that would mean the county would have to contribute an additional $40 million annually to support the request. Selby said it would mean an additional $30 million on the city side. For the 2002-03 fiscal year the county's operating budget was $820 million. The city's general fund budget for fiscal year 2002-03 was $366 million, of which about $90 million went to Metro.

"Based on the existing revenue services, there's no way to accommodate that without cutting services from other areas of the budget," Stevens said. "That would be virtually all of the revenue growth we're expecting for the next fiscal year. There would be no increases for any other county department."

Selby agrees, saying even if Metro were to cut the request in half, it would still pose a challenge for the city.

"We don't question the need for the request but the reality is in no way can we afford that increase," Selby said. "The revenue growth has been insufficient to provide that kind of increase to Metro without having to cut other city programs."

Undersheriff Doug Gillespie acknowledged that getting the full 25 percent increase from the city and county may not be possible.

"This is what we feel we need, knowing full well that a 25 percent increase is substantial," Gillespie said. "Anytime you submit a budget proposal, it is unusual that you get everything you ask for."

But Gillespie said there are other ways to get funding.

If the city and county don't provide enough, a ballot initiative seeking to raise property taxes to pay for more officers is an option, Gillespie said. Young has also supported a ballot initiative in the past. The earliest that could happen would be November 2004.

County Commissioner Rory Reid said going to the voters may be the only way for Metro to get the increase it seeks.

"Under the property tax cap placed on us by the Legislature, we may not have the discretion to raise taxes for the increase-- ourselves," Reid said. "I think there are a lot of open questions right now given the fiscal condition of the state and the fiscal condition of the county. That's why people are thinking of going to the voter because there may not be another way to do it."

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald said a similar effort was successful for the Las Vegas Fire Department in 2000, when a ballot question was approved by voters to levy an additional property tax for the next 30 years to pay for four new fire stations, improvements to existing stations, new trucks and about 113 new firefighters.

"They were able to state their case, saying it'll cost you this but this is what you will be able to get in return," she said. "And taxpayers were able to say yes."

The city and county will review Metro's proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 within the next 30 days and determine how much they will be able to fund.

Metro's budget increases over the past two years were much smaller, but the department asked for less money in those years. Metro received a funding increase of 8.2 percent for the 2002-03 budget and 7.6 percent for the 2000-01 budget.

In addition to the uniformed officers, the 30 additional 911 operators Young wants would put the total at 101. He also wants to hire eight more dispatchers, bringing the total to 86. Metro received 3.2 million 911 calls in the past fiscal year. The total number of calls is expected to exceed 3.5 million in this fiscal year.

"I've known for the last three to four years that they have needed a lot more officers on the street, but funding is always a problem," Las Vegas Councilman Gary Reese said. "I certainly support their need but getting the money is going to be the hard part. Even under normal financial conditions I don't think the city and county could give them that."