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Sunday, April 15, 2012 | 2 a.m.
North Las Vegas faces budget gap
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KSNV coverage of the North Las Vegas preparing for the possibility of having Metro Police share services with North Las Vegas Police, April 11, 2012.
Sun coverage
North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck reached out to Las Vegas officials and Sheriff Doug Gillespie last week in what appeared to be an attempt by the cash-strapped city to get Metro to take over North Las Vegas’ police department. But Buck ignored Clark County officials.
Commissioners shook their heads at that — unincorporated Clark County taxpayers fund much more of Metro’s budget than does Las Vegas.
(The two government bodies share the cost; Metro also receives sales tax to fund the More Cops program.)
More baffling to some commissioners were Buck’s obvious political moves. With her city on the verge of bankruptcy, she insisted she wasn’t talking to Metro about merging police departments. Yet at the same time, her city manager, Timothy Hacker, sent a letter to the sheriff saying the city would like to talk about Metro possibly “assuming … all of the functions” of the North Las Vegas Police Department.
Why would Metro entertain such a proposal?
That has county officials scratching their heads, too. In preliminary budget talks, Gillespie has asked for a budget increase, which commissioners are loath to approve. Commissioner Steve Sisolak, who sits on Metro’s Fiscal Affairs Committee, noted that the department has cut into pay increases in the last few years but laid off no officers.
Are North Las Vegas officers paid so little that somehow Metro’s budget would be unaffected? Metro would, after all, get tax dollars from the dwindling number of residents who still call North Las Vegas home.
We looked at North Las Vegas and Metro salaries, courtesy of Transparent Nevada, the website run by the Nevada Policy Research Institute. One problem in making a comparison is the website doesn’t differentiate between overtime paid by taxpayers and that paid by casinos or event organizers who need Metro officers as security for concerts or other events. That’s an important caveat because any cost paid by outside organizations means taxpayers bear less of a burden.
With that in mind, here’s what it shows: Out of 344 North Las Vegas Police Department jobs, 118 earned total compensation packages in 2011 greater than $150,000. That includes wages, overtime and other benefits. Of those 118 positions, 21 sergeants, 15 lieutenants and three captains earned more than $200,000.
The database showed 1,206 Metro employees — the majority non-civilian policing positions — earned $150,000 or more, while 137 earned more than $200,000, including 57 lieutenants, 32 sergeants, 29 captains and eight police officers.
What does that tell you?
It’s hard to say. Looks like lots of people in both departments earn a nice living.
But do North Las Vegas police earn, and cost, more or less than Metro?
Sisolak told the Sun they earn more. His evidence? He has been approached by North Las Vegas officers who admitted to him that they earn more because as members of a small department they have fewer chances for advancement than Metro officers.
Sisolak doesn’t want Metro to take over North Las Vegas.
Why?
In part because Gillespie insists on maintaining as close to two officers per 1,000 population as he can.
In 2009, North Las Vegas had a population of 224,000 and 1.3 officers per 1,000. That comes to roughly 290 officers.
To maintain that ratio in North Las Vegas, Metro would need to hire 157 cops.
Compounding problems, Metro will have a tough time funding a budget increase given that its budget surplus has been spent down in recent years. Sources say Gillespie may ask state lawmakers for permission to use his More Cops fund, a sales tax intended to only fund new police officers, to bolster his general budget.
That appears to leave North Las Vegas in quite a pickle, eh?
Especially if Sisolak’s views are widely held.
“I can’t imagine who would want to take them over,” he said. “How it would save anybody any money? I don’t know how (North Las Vegas) can fix this other than tax increases. They’ve got a new city hall, a new water treatment plant — huge expenses. It’s going to take them to come up with a plan.”
The only thing NLV has that's better than what Vegas has, is a professional police force. If they cede that to Metro, they should dissolve the city. I am absolutely disgusted with Shari Buck. Nice job with that waste water treatment plant that is getting us sued ,and the new city hall. Don't get too cozy in that mayor's chair.
So when is the state going to take over the management of NLV?
It looks like the Salaries of All Departments are Very High. The Strip Should have a Special Taxing District to take care of Police Requirements There. The Rest of Las Vegas is basically a Low Rise Bedroom Community. We should be competitive with those communities on Salaries - and No more.
North Las Vegas is in a Death Spiral and the Only way to solve it may be to dissolve the Town Charter.
Public safety is eating up cities, counties and states budget at an alarming rate. 70% of the city of Vallejo, CA budget went to public safety, 80% of the budget is funding Stockton, CA and they are on the verge of bankruptcy. Police and fire can cut their budgets but refuse to look at alternative ways. Just by cutting overtime can reduces budget by millions. Having employees contribute more to benefits and retirement will do the same. Public safety around the country have been operating in the same manner for decades, its time they change. Police and fire need to look at more fuel efficient vehicles, change response times, use more tactical and change operational procedures to be more efficient, and start looking at hiring reserve force, similar to how the military uses their reserve and national guard.
Requiring IQ tests for city council and the mayor will highlight the problem. Try attracting new buisness to stimulate the economy.
http://www.watchdogwag.com/?p=15348
I'm sure large corporations that provide jobs drive around and base their locations based on welcome signs.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2012/j...