Las Vegas, NLV plan to merge services could save $5.6 million

By Paul Takahashi

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 | 6:48 p.m.

The Las Vegas and North Las Vegas city councils unanimously voted to negotiate a service-sharing contract during a joint meeting Wednesday afternoon.

A government efficiency study by Management Partners Inc. was presented to city officials and about 100 people gathered at the North Las Vegas Library.

The study looked at 50 areas where services could be shared and determined seven as possible cost-saving opportunities. Management Partners estimated savings of $4.2 million to $5.6 million.

Officials from both cash-strapped cities generally welcomed the study. The city of Las Vegas faces a $12 million deficit; North Las Vegas is $25 million short.

“This is quite an opportunity,” said North Las Vegas Councilman Richard Cherchio. “It’s difficult times right now for everybody, but this is an opportunity to take a lemon and make lemonade out of it.

“I think that our cities should have been doing this a long time ago,” Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross said. “Our cities share so many things. We share so many of the same people. We share so many of the same businesses. I think that’s important.”

The study identified seven potential areas of service sharing that will be analyzed: Federal legislative services, citywide training, animal control and dog licensing, street sweeping, business licensing and work-card system, emergency services dispatching and golf course operations.

Other areas may also be analyzed.

Las Vegas Councilman Stavros Anthony said he was “jazzed” about the possible partnership. Others were in support but raised concerns about the quality of service diminishing under a cost-sharing agreement.

“We want to make sure that the service levels that our citizens currently enjoy aren’t diminished by our partnership,” said Las Vegas City Manager Betsy Fretwell. “If anything, we hope to raise them up...That would be ideal.”

At the same time, the public-purpose doctrine — whereby tax dollars from residents in one district will not subsidize services of another — should not be broken, Fretwell said. “We need to stay true to our own constituents.”

North Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem William Robinson agreed.

“We need to do this, but we need to move forward as cautiously as we can,” he said. “You want to make sure your city is getting its fair share.”

But Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese urged council members to be less “territorial.”

“I’ve long been a believer in when it gets tough, the tough get going,” Reese said. “This is something that we have do to survive.”