Nevada’s pace of spending highway stimulus funds among slowest

By Lisa Mascaro, David McGrath Schwartz

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 | 6:13 p.m.

Nevada’s Democratic congresswomen continued their assault Tuesday on the state Transportation Department’s slow pace in spending stimulus funding on highway projects.

Reps. Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus said the latest report shows Nevada is second to last nationwide in spending the $200 million it received in transportation funds from the Recovery Act.

The congresswomen have been pushing the state to work more speedily to turn the money into jobs ever since the initial reports last fall from the House Transportation Committee showed the state at 46th in the nation.

The latest report shows the state’s standing has slipped to 50th as other states have spent their funding.

“At this rate we will be dead last by February,” Berkley said. “Governor Gibbons controls $200 million in stimulus funding for Nevada roads and highways, yet less than one-third of these dollars are now going to provide paychecks -- so there is no question we should be doing much better.”

The criticism comes as the 2010 election campaigns are under way, and the Republican governor is in a difficult re-election bid with both a primary challenge from his own party and a Democratic challenge from Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, the son of the U.S. senator.

The Nevada Department of Transportation has said it is working around the clock to review and award contracts for spending projects.

Spokesman Scott Magruder said the department is on track to have all the contracts awarded by the February deadline.‬ ‪

Magruder said winter weather had slowed some projects. Another, a $26 million Washoe County interchange project, was delayed because the local transportation commission still had to acquire some land.

Gibbons has been highly critical of the stimulus act passed by Congress.

Gibbons spokesman Dan Burns referred comments to Charles Harvey, the state's stimulus director. Harvey didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Titus, however, said the governor needs to do more.

“Nevada may be meeting all the deadlines and doing everything by the book, but with a recession that has gripped our state especially hard, just doing enough to meet the minimum requirements won’t cut it for Nevadans looking for work,” Titus said. “In a state that has had its construction sector decimated by the recession, this poor performance is unacceptable. I urge Governor Gibbons to pick up the pace.”

Lisa Mascaro reported from Washington, D.C., and David McGrath Schwartz reported from Carson City.