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Sunday, March 15, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
Beyond the Sun
Most Nevadans have little direct interaction with their state government.
One exception is the Department of Motor Vehicles.
It’s already an easy target for contempt, so you would think state leaders would avoid making matters worse.
A plan by Gov. Jim Gibbons — nearly implemented, and still on the table — would make that interaction between the public and state government less convenient. The plan would end Saturday hours at DMV offices in Las Vegas and Reno and completely close two offices in Northern Nevada.
The DMV has a budget shortfall of almost $3 million — a fraction of the billions the state is short, but a problem nonetheless.
Gibbons asked department Director Edgar Roberts for a plan to address it. And a plan he got.
In the letter sent to lawmakers in late February, Gibbons informed them that he planned to eliminate Saturday hours at all Las Vegas and Reno offices. During a fiscal emergency, the governor has the power to place employees on leave without pay, he noted. “I therefore plan to declare a fiscal emergency with respect to DMV’s budget for the current fiscal year and will order Director Roberts to reduce the weekly hours of all staff.”
The furlough would initially require employees take four hours a week off without pay, with the unpaid time off eventually rising to eight hours a week.
“This action is necessary to meet the budget shortfall for this fiscal year and avoid layoffs at the DMV,” Gibbons wrote.
It seemed like dramatic action for a $3 million shortfall.
Legislators were stunned.
“I said, ‘You can’t do this. This doesn’t make sense,’ ” Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley said.
She offered legislative fiscal staff to work with DMV officials to find savings in other areas, such as travel. If needed, she said, she could quickly pass emergency temporary legislation that would allow offices to keep operating.
There are already complaints of long wait times at the DMV, Buckley said. “The public relies on those services.”
Gibbons’ letter was accompanied by a memorandum from Roberts, the DMV director, explaining that the department’s revenue projections had dropped by more than $15.7 million. Under state law, the department can keep only 22 percent of the revenue it collects to cover its costs.
Roberts’ memo offered three scenarios to deal with the shortfall:
• Reduce worker hours, eliminate Saturday hours and close DMV “Express” offices in Reno and Sparks.
• Lay off 233 workers.
• Get the Legislature to pass a temporary suspension of the 22 percent cap.
The last option, Roberts wrote, “may appear to be the easiest but in fact the likelihood of our budget bill passing within the next one to two weeks is slim considering how long the legislative process is taking.” Such legislation “may receive attachments to the bill that could not be supported by the Governor and thus vetoed,” Roberts noted.
Gibbons’ chief of staff, Josh Hicks, acknowledged last week that the plan to furlough workers and cut DMV hours was nearly implemented.
Buckley said she has offered to sponsor temporary emergency legislation if it’s needed and, in the meantime, legislative staff is reviewing the DMV’s budget, looking for savings that would prevent service cuts.
Department spokesman Tom Jacobs said the memo was written by Roberts “at the darkest time.”
“Without any support whatsoever from the legislative side, this is what we would have to do,” he said.
Asked whether the DMV will still cut hours, he said, “I can’t say it’s not a possibility. It’s fair to say everything is on the table.”
Something is very wrong with the Gov. G.
There should be a character trait that every politition should not have when running for an office. Simply stated "No BUFFOONS allowed".
That is an insult to buffoons.
Has Gibbons gone and lost his mind? I have not had any problems with the DMV except trying to get my driver's license in my married name. I finally gave up and went to Truckee to renew my Driver's License in California. More revenue lost for the state of Nevada.
If I am not mistaken, when you move here from another state you have about 6 months to get your vehicle registered in Nevada. There are so many people that have moved here from out of state that never changed their registration. Why have the law if you don't enforce it. If they enforced this law, starting with an advertising campaign, Nevada would have a whole lot more money. I don't appreciate seeing people getting away with having out of state plates year after year! When I moved here I did my legal opportunity and switched my registration. If Gibbons is looking to make cuts, why not simply enforce Nevada's law! Then he could be that much further ahead.
If anything, cut a Monday or some other weekday. There are so many people that only have the weekend to take care of business. This just proves once again that the politico's don't live in the same world as us ordinary peons. Anyone who votes for an incumbent gets what they deserve.
Fire all politicians.
Save some money.
Keep in mind some with out of state plates might be 'snow birds'. I'm not sure how it is here but in Arizona if a 'snowbird' spends more months in their 'home state' than they do in Arizona then they don't have to change their plate to an Arizona plate. Most snowbirds in Arizona spent just slightly more time in their home state thus they never have to change their plate. Maybe some of the folks out here find themselves in the same situation - I don't know - but I'm sure many others aren't snowbirds at all.
A lot of working joes/janes rely on those Saturday hours. I myself recently went to the N. Decatur branch on a Saturday, and it was full. Eliminating Saturdays is just not sensible and is almost outright war against the working people of Mon-Fri. On top of that closing Saturdays and closing offices will just make people go to the DMV even less.
Seriously does Jim Gib look into a mirror and formulate how to make Nevada even more unliveable? Or does he have a direct line to Satan to get that info?
I've decided that Gibbon's is no fool. By really irritating the citizens via the DMV - he'll be able to keep his "no new taxes" promise. Feel the pain, people. Gibbon's forces the legislature to raise DMV fee's and taxes only to "veto" such a proposal that the legislature will certainly override. Gibbon's realizes there is no way out without raising taxes/fees. DMV current fiscal shortfall is a mere $3M - a virtual drop in the budget bucket. Every USA/Nevada citizen over the age of nine is eligible for some DMV service - mainly ID cards. If the lines are long now - just wait until the "Real ID" act is fully implemented. Bring a lunch and a beach chair.
You have 30 days in Nevada to obtain a NV Drivers License and up to 60 days to register your vehicle. Not 6 months. The law is clear. Laws for your old states do not apply. Only temp (snowbirds) residents can be exempt.
http://www.dmvnv.com/newresident.htm