Rogers hits lawmakers up for another $94 million

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 | 10:58 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers urged a legislative budget committee today to provide $94 million more than is in Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget for construction projects at the University and Community College System of Nevada.

But legislators told Rogers there wasn't much money left to go around, and there are other needs competing for the money, including those of the public schools, prisons and health programs.

Rogers said the state Legislature must show its commitment to higher education so that the private sector will provide extra money to help construct these buildings.

He said he thinks that a capital campaign at UNLV will raise $500 million in donations, and he said Richard Morgan, dean of the law school, feels he can raise $100 million.

Rogers said the business community needs an "act of faith" by the Legislature before it will donate more money for construction.

But Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, told Rogers, "There are other priorities."

While the university system has private donors, the prison system doesn't, Arberry noted.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, agreed with Arberry.

"We have other priorities we have to address," Raggio said.

Raggio, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, also told Rogers he was "troubled by the projects" on the system's priority list. Some projects get a higher priority because they generate private funding, while needed academic buildings are pushed down the priority list because "they don't have the charisma," Raggio complained.

Rogers said the private funding helps the other projects indirectly. He said if a project gets extra money from private sources, that frees up money for buildings that "are not very sexy."

Rogers' request for more money was backed by Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, who said, "I think we have the money for one-shots," meaning construction projects.

He also told Rogers, "You delivered a strong message. I like the aggressiveness of you and the board of regents" in going after private money.

Coffin said he disagreed with Rogers, however, regarding the use of private money to supplement the salaries of the presidents of the universities. UNLV President Carol Harter receives an extra $90,000 from the UNLV Foundation.

People in those positions should not be beholden to "corporate boards," Coffin said.

Rogers said the presidents are not beholden to any outside interest.

The budget by the governor recommends $106.1 million in state funds for the university system with $41 million coming from other funds and $14 million from the estate tax.

The document presented to the legislative budget committee by the university system requests $200.9 million in state money; $77.8 million in outside money and $29 million from the estate tax..

Rogers said he knows there are criticisms of the system "spends money like water" and is inefficient.

But, he said, university officials work hard. He said the presidents of the eight schools spend 70-80 percent of their time raising money.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said the Legislature needed to be careful about making funding commitments that would require follow-up funding in future years.

"In two years we will not have the money. We have to err on the side of caution," she said.

Rogers said the future success of the university system "relies on the private sector."

Legislators who supported the birth of the Nevada State College in Henderson, noted that a promise to raise more than $10 million from the private sector to pay for half of a building never materialized.

Rogers said the Legislature must make a commitment first. And then the business community will invest.