Nye cuts funding to multiple programs

After months of budget shortfall projections and warnings, Nye County took drastic measures Tuesday for cost savings by slashing expenses and services at a meeting of the County Commission.

Approved for cutting was the county’s $2.6 million in subsidies for the senior nutrition program, the animal shelters, Beatty and Amargosa Valley health clinics, natural resources, animal control, juvenile probation, planning and agriculture extension office in Pahrump.

The cuts represent elimination of non-mandated services programs. County Manager Pamela Webster said the cuts will be implemented immediately and will be part of the proposed fiscal year 2016 budget, which starts July 1.

Hard hits were also taken by the public safety budget line with commissioners voting for a near shutdown of the Tonopah jail and the elimination of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. The cuts to the D.A.R.E program may eliminate two sheriff’s deputy positions, while it remains uncertain how many positions, if any, will be eliminated by the near-shutdown of the Tonopah jail.

The Tonopah jail operates with an annual budget of approximately $1.2 million, according to county officials. Of that amount $800,000 has been cut. Commissioner Dan Schinhofen, who made the motion for a list of cuts proposed by Webster, said the jail will still be used as a holding facility until transport of the prisoner could be arranged.

Cuts to public safety came as something of a surprise to Assistant Sheriff Rick Marshall who said that the sheriff’s department was not consulted with regard to proposed cuts. Marshall also said that the commission has no authority to cut sheriff’s department programs. That decision, he said, is at the discretion of the sheriff. Relying on an opinion from the attorney general’s office, Marshall said the commission solely has the authority to set the budget of the sheriff’s department, not to dictate programs.

Proactive in her approach to the budget cuts, new Sheriff Sharon Wehrly proposed several revenue generating programs including a warrant execution program which could result in monthly revenues between $14,000 and $350,000 based on a similar program in North Las Vegas. Also proposed was an electronic traffic ticket payment program where violators could choose to immediately pay fines during the course of a traffic stop. The program, she said, would reduce court and district attorney staff time in court appearances.

Wehrly also proposed hosting a S.W.A.T. training school which could generate approximately $10,000 per class and “renting” beds at both the Pahrump and Tonopah jails which could annually generate $2.7 million in revenue per facility.

A cost-saving measure currently being implemented in the Pahrump jail, is the restructuring of the prisoner feeding program, which she said, will save approximately $240,000 per year.

While appreciative of projected revenue generating endeavours, Commissioner Lorinda Wichman said, “We don’t have any money in the checking account. We have to do something to reduce the grocery bill. If money comes in, we can go back to the store.”

In addition to those cuts, staff will see a 5-percent cut, achieved through a mandatory monthly furlough day and the management budget line item will see a 10-percent reduction, which roughly translates into two furlough days per month.

Programs saved from proposed cuts include child support, veterans services, emergency management, administration and museums.