Editorial: Government cuts

Thursday, June 7, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.

One of the unfortunate byproducts of the disappointing 2007 Legislature was how lawmakers pitted the state against Clark County.

County officials are bracing for the worst when the final tally is taken from the legislative session because the county budget was an attractive target for state lawmakers. Although it is not unusual to see lawmakers try to dip into local government accounts, the efforts usually don't turn into reality. But this year was different.

As reported Tuesday in the Las Vegas Sun by Tony Cook and J. Patrick Coolican, the county became a target in part because Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons' no-new-taxes campaign pledge left lawmakers little flexibility to address the growing state's voracious needs. Adding to the problem was a shortfall caused by a tax break the 2005 Legislature gave to companies that construct environmentally friendly buildings. Not wanting to pull from the education budget, lawmakers turned to local government to make up the difference.

Still, there is a belief held by many in Carson City that Clark County can handle budget cuts because it is on stable financial footing. As Assembly Ways and Means Chairman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, said, Clark County has "more money than God."

But Clark County commissioners see it much differently.

"We have conservative financial policies and make sure we stay afloat and can pay our bills," Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said. "But as the legislators who become county commissioners find out, there are an awful lot of needs that aren't being met."

County officials will have to reconsider their budget and priorities. Two places to start are the overtime budget and the pension plan, which have seen skyrocketing increases in recent years. A Sun analysis revealed the county's overtime budget has increased 140 percent since fiscal 2002. The employee pension plan has increased 48 percent since fiscal 2001.

No matter what transpired in Carson City, the county should explore ways to cut those numbers as a matter of sound fiscal policy. Still, with an already tight budget and potential cuts to respond to the budget plan passed by the Legislature, the county will likely have to trim services.

That is a shame. Southern Nevada's state legislators and local elected officials should be working together to serve the public, by making sure the Las Vegas Valley's needs are met, instead of fighting one another.