By Mark Waite
TONOPAH — Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi threatened to file charges if the sheriff’s department continues to bust its budget in the upcoming fiscal year, in violation of state law, during a budget workshop Tuesday.
The exchange came while Assistant Sheriff Rick Marshall was inquiring whether sheriff’s dispatchers and detention officers were exempt from requirements to take one furlough day per month. Human Resources Director Donelle Shamrell said the deputies in the field are considered essential positions and are exempt from the furlough. But Kunzi said dispatchers and detention officers were not exempt.
In a report on the 2010-11 fiscal year presented last March, auditor Dan McArthur reported expenses for public safety overran the budget by $771,700.
Kunzi referred to emails exchanged with Nye County Sheriff’s Captain Bill Becht.
“All I said in the email last week is we have a law that says if you exceed your budget, you are violating the law. It appears that the sheriff’s budget was getting very close. Things had to be taken care of. I told him pointedly if the Board of Commissioners chose to refer this to my office for prosecution for not meeting the demands of the budget that I would initiate that action,” Kunzi said. “The money that was in there would not be enough to pay the dispatchers without furloughing.”
Marshall said it would cost more to replace dispatchers and detention officers on furlough than to give them furlough days off.
“They can just sell back 96 hours of comp time to compensate for the loss of furloughs,” Marshall said.
Commissioner Joni Eastley, who admitted she was texting Marshall earlier in the meeting, said that wouldn’t accomplish the objectives of the furlough program to save money.
Comptroller Susan Paprocki suggested instituting a 38-hour work week instead of the furlough program, she said the furlough program created scheduling problems in certain departments. That’s contingent on approval of the employees union, before the final budget hearing on Monday, May 21. Paprocki said a 38-hour work week would still save 5 percent and may allow for employee STEP increases.
The projected deficit was whittled down from $2.6 million to $1.6 million before the Tuesday budget workshop.
Revenues are projected to be 97 percent of the estimated budget for this 2011-12 fiscal year, $31.9 million compared to $32.8 million, but only 87 percent of the actual numbers for fiscal year 2010-11, which were $36.7 million.
When combined with the fund balance the county will have $32.5 million in the general fund. But expenditures are estimated at $33.9 million, an increase from $32.8 million projected for this year, which would leave a $1.6 million negative fund balance by the end of the upcoming fiscal year on June 30, 2013.
That led Paprocki to issue her own warning on behalf of the Nevada Department of Taxation.
“They prefer us to have a fund balance of four percent of expenditures however we cannot have a negative fund balance. I don’t know if we can have a four percent fund balance but we do need to get rid of the negative,” she said.
Commissioner Dan Schinhofen asked if a drop in the cost of salaries from $19.6 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year to $16.6 million this year was due to the employee early retirement buyouts, Paprocki said it was. But salaries will rise to $17.13 million next year, Eastley noted $1.08 million of that is overtime.
“The value of the overtime is estimated at $1.08 million, what is the value of the buyout?” she asked.
Paprocki said the net effect of the buyout was a savings of $750,000 to $800,000, assuming there’s no overtime, an assumption Eastley called ridiculous.
There are no plans for another early retirement buyout this year, like the last two years, the first year the county borrowed from a landfill closure fund to pay for it, last year the county took the money from the Payment Equal to Taxes for Yucca Mountain.
Other steps Paprocki suggested to balance the budget include removing unfilled positions, a savings of $371,000, redirecting planning staff salaries to a building department fund when possible, saving $165,000 and splitting the emergency services director’s salary between the EMS and ambulance department, another $70,000 in savings.
The cost of services and supplies jumps from $7.8 million to $8 million, Paprocki said that includes increased utility costs for the footprint of new buildings, like the new Pahrump jail, among $250,000 in added costs in the buildings and grounds budget for utilities. Software maintenance agreements will cause the information technology budget to increase by $100,000. Paprocki wants to cut the services and supplies budget by 10 percent.
Kunzi said he’s working hard on a plan to trim costs paid to conflict attorneys, which are projected to double next year to $700,000. That’s in addition to the $550,000 spent annually on the law firm of Gibson and Kuehn, for three public defenders.
Kunzi said the county could sign contracts with conflict attorneys instead of paying them hourly. Those are attorneys hired because one of the public defenders has a conflict of interest, or in cases where there are multiple defendants who each need their own attorney.
County officials will budget a potential savings of $200,000, Kunzi thinks he can achieve at least that much.
Three services that don’t have to be provided by the county — senior nutrition program, animal services and veterans’ services — were put on the table, collectively the county would save $736,000. But Schinhofen and Commissioner Gary Hollis pledged not to cut senior nutrition or veterans’ services.
Kunzi said the county has to scrap plans for a ballot question this November asking voters to approve a $20 parcel fee for animal control.
“Unfortunately I was researching another issue when I came across a very bizarre, strange statute. I have no reason why it’s in there, it says animal control cannot have any other revenue source,” Kunzi said.
Schinhofen suggested privatizing animal control to an organization like the Lied Animal Shelter in Las Vegas or turning it over to the communities.
But Eastley replied: “I’ll never balance our budget on the backs of the towns. I’ve been on a town board for 10 years.”
She said every community needs animal control including in the rural areas, where they’re called coyotes.
Eastley said liquor license fees were never raised in her 12 years on the county commission, which Paprocki said are only budgeted at $37,000 next year. Wichman suggested increasing fees on health inspections for brothel workers.
Schinhofen suggested approaching the employee union with the 38-hour work week and, continuing a freeze on STEP increases that would reduce the remaining $1.4 million deficit after Kunzi’s trimming of the budget for conflict attorneys.
Commissioner Lorinda Wichman said if the county did all that and cut overtime costs in half, another of Paprocki’s suggestions, there would be a $400,000 to $500,000 surplus.
Commissioners extended an olive branch to employees at the end of the discussion.
“I’m very happy and grateful that they gave concessions in the past and I know we are asking for them again. It would be much easier if we didn’t have a collective bargaining unit,” Schinhofen said.
Eastley added to those remarks.
“We cannot say enough for the willingness of the employees to work with us. It’s very difficult. I personally know employees who are taking their furlough day and foregoing their STEP increase. While it doesn’t sound like a lot of sacrifice I know people who are working part-time jobs in addition to working full-time for Nye County,” she said.
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- Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi
Unbelievable, as hard as it might be for the sheriff department to come to grips with this, the money pool is dry and belt tightening a must, not an option.
Rather than spend more money on patrol officers and overtime, why not institute community block watch programs like other towns and cities have. Let the residents take up some of the cost of providing public safety. For free. Opps, thinking outside the box, shame on me.
That was kinda my suggestion on the Blagg road fiasco and the Ruud center roof.
Why does EVERYTHING have to be off the government teet ,while half the town lounges around all day unemployed?
I don’t know where you live, but my neighborhood here in Pahrump has a Neighborhhood Watch program.
And since you brought it up, time to put your money where your mouth is, I would expect to see you first in line at the local sheriff’s department to volunteer. I understand they accept applications all the time for volunteers.
So? Let me get this straight. You think you HAVE to register and latch yourself to the government teet to “Watch” your own neighborhood.Form a line of upstanding fellow socialists to get permission to watch your own neighborhood?
By the way…..If you go back in time on this website. I was the one saying I’d provide the BBQ and Soda for a “Community Center Rebuild Weekend” when it was going to be $15 trillion to repair the leaking roof.
Is that anything like “putting it where your mouth is”?
For the record. I was also the one ready to help organize all the local guys to spend a week or two trying to get Blagg at least passable, at our own time and expense; Instead of waiting with our thumbs in the posterior position….. waiting for some government bonehead to come and save us.
I don’t get it either. Many of my neighbors met and decided we did NOT want a neighbors watch in our area. We are all home most of the day, and keep an eye out without the government sanctioning us and some how we manage to deal with any problems that arise and stay crime free.
I never invite the government into my life if I can avoid it.
I agree in opposition to neighborhood watch. Particularly with the number of people who run around town wearing guns. I was at WalMart heading back to my car when a guy got out of his truck with a gun in his hand. As I looked at him, he put it in his holster and went into Walmart. He was lucky I didn’t scream bloody murder when I saw a gun pointed in my direct and start throwing the contents of my shopping cart at him. LOLOL
Boy oh boy, did you move to the wrong town. You do know that some places like the post office require to to disarm and then re-arm once you are off postal property right? Chances are that is all this was IF it even happened. Had it been Somehow I seriously doubt this guy was pointing his gun at you and I also seriously doubt it even happened.
I dont see anything wrong with neighbors looking out for neighbors, guns or not. Matter of fact, perhaps unorganized neighborhood watches are better.
i agree with eeko…
you sure did move to the wrong town.
and i am also sure that there never was a gun pointed at you at the walmart.
if there had been you would have called the cops immediatly.
when ever i am anywhere except fedsral property or where it otherwise is illegal for me to do so you may see me carring openly or you may not…i also carry concealed. sometimes i do both as is my constitutional right to do so.
carol if you don’t like it when we honest, working, legal citizens elect to use our rights and carry our guns then i sugest you move away….either that or get used to it.
Sorry guys. Wish I was making it up. The guy got out of his truck holding the gun in his hand and put it in his holster when he saw me staring at him. I have no idea why you doubt this actually happened. I know what I saw. And the fact that you both said I moved to the wrong town if I didn’t want to see men running around with guns in their hands or on their belts shows that you didn’t totally dismiss what I said.
i don’t doubt that you saw a man putting his firearm in his holster….i doubt very much that you saw him point it at you as you say he did.
i believe 100% that you are blowing something out of proportion to make your point.
Nothng New I carry open Most of the time but i usually carry Concealed. To Holster your weapon before you get out of the car is a Must but do not get
your tiddy’s all waded up over it. Just Be glad we have a decent Sheriff
all it takes is responsable firearm handeling to go wrong.
We have NRS and Felony laws and a Constitution in place. Until legeslation and the people vote for Ilegal Gun Control and No tress pass,then no infringment please! and be gald we have polite gun owners in most of NV and Nye County.
Budget problems? Oh well I hope Brian can get it straightend out!Unless we stop having growth ,it seems people are moving away but more people are buying and moving here or am i wrong? car wrecks every week, and wait times at the doctors office and way to many young people with time on there hands. I would like to make suggestions but it is $ problems that stands in the way?
We did have and still do have small town community here,Once we lose that we are done for We must get back to listining to the people and get rid of the outside trouble makers who make promises like the town maneger, really hold the Town Board and Comish’s feet to the fire!
Un-real, Appears they are trying to do away with the only good service to ever come from Nye County (Veterans Affairs Office). Its a shame that they have funding raised by the brothel workers and it covers 4/5 of the office, yet certain individuals are trying to eliminate the one remaining employee and disolve the department completely. what a joke. The County refuses to come up with $30k to fund the position for a full year. I’m not certain, but I imagine that that office is the least expensive to run out of all of the offices in Nye County and your attempting to do away with it again. Really, $30k and your going to close the office? Then what will us Veterans do, Drive to Vegas and wait 16 weeks for a appointment. From the other articles in this paper on Veterans they are many and need help. This office is bringing in money back to the Vets who in turn spend nearly every penny back into Nye county on things such as taxes, groceries and other necessities. Its bad enough the office was wittled down from 4 people several years ago down to the manager of the office. I know he is working tripple shifts to make sure that the 4 jobs he is doing are being accomplished. And yet we want to rid him adn the office over $30k. What a shame!
un-real…”But Schinhofen and Commissioner Gary Hollis pledged not to cut senior nutrition or veterans’ services.” BTW so does Boraski and the other 2.
Lets put what county offices get closed to a vote. Pretty sure the Veterans Affairs office won’t be one of the top vote getters to close. I am not in a position to help at the moment, but maybe the local VFW can lead the veterans of the town in organizing and protesting any closure of the Veterans Affairs Office. I will support however I can, when I can.
Hope and Change all right Just Follow the money Military Cut backs on the back of Veterans affair OK i get it Obama or is it the Congress that can’t Understand your Ideas of A Common defense? So You need to make DOD Cut backs,I ask You’ on Whose back the Vets?
The veterans affair will not go down or am I day dreaming? Money Management problems will they ever be fool proof ? Who’s pocket’s any way
I for one am glad that we have a DA that isn”t afraid to stand up to the Sheriff’s department. Now how many of you think that Ron Kent would have had the guts to do that?
I agree, put what county offices get closed to a vote.
The Sheriff better learn about staying within his budget
“The sheriff better learn about staying within his budget”. That is a good one, he has not been within his budget for the past several years as per the audit and personal knowledge.
Kunzi should just do his job and file charges or he should be charged with dereliction of duty.
One (such as myself) can only imagine what Becht’s emails consisted of, knowing his mentality he was making threats as usual.
Guess we shall see…..we hope.