County leaders worry state will raid local funds amid shortfall

By Cy Ryan

Monday, Jan. 10, 2011 | 2:08 p.m.

CARSON CITY – County commissioners across Nevada are worried the state will again raid money from local governments, will close some community colleges in rural Nevada and shut down the aging Nevada State Prison in Carson City.

They expressed their fears Monday to Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, who promised to listen to their concerns in the future.

Oceguera told a meeting of the Nevada Association of County Commissioners that the state faces a deficit of between $1.1 billion and $2.7 billion.

Humboldt County Commissioner Tom Fransway said the state “swept” the indigent accident fund from counties in 2009 and “I hear it's on the table again.” That fund is county money raised through a property tax assessment to pay for medical care for indigents.

Oceguera told Fransway “We don’t want to do it again,” but he didn’t rule it out with the state facing a record deficit.

Oceguera said there have been rumors that community colleges might become the responsibility of counties instead of the state. He said he didn’t know if that change could be done in the upcoming session of the Legislature and added, “It may not be a good idea.”

Carson City representatives want to know if the Nevada State Prison, one of the largest employers in the city, is on the chopping block. Oceguera said the Legislature rejected the suggestion in 2009. But if it is shut down, he said, the employees would be placed in other prisons outside of Carson City.

Faced with financial problems, Oceguera said the state may have to reduce its per-pupil support for public schools. For this biennium, the basic support per student is $5,251 for the current fiscal year and $5,395 for the next fiscal year, financed through a combination of state and county funds.

Commissioners also expressed concern about economic development efforts to draw new business to Nevada. Oceguera said there were 19 redevelopment agencies in the state and that might have to be reduced to three – one each for Clark and Washoe counties and the third to represent rural counties.

Reapportionment was also on the minds of county commissioners. Oceguera said final census figures will arrive in mid-February, adding that Gov. Brian Sandoval has suggested reapportionment be done early in the 2011 Legislature.

But Oceguera said, “I don’t know if it can be done.” He said there are four staff members in the Legislature assigned to each of the Democratic and Republican caucuses in the Senate and Assembly.