State, county officials wielding budget axes face dilemma

If you made a horror movie about Carole Vilardo, she'd be holding a hatchet dripping with blood, while wearing a stylish hat.

Vilardo, president of the Nevada Taxpayers Association, is becoming the queen of task forces aimed at cutting government costs. Some union leaders perceive her as a bloody slasher of salaries and benefits.

She was the only member of Clark County's somewhat fractious Committee on Community Priorities who also served on the state's SAGE (Spending and Government Efficiency) Commission. And before that she had a similar job as a member of a Washoe County committee looking at how government can save money.

Vilardo is considered one of the leading experts on the state and county tax systems and is quoted often. Her style is polite, reasonable and knowledgeable, always backed with facts and specific examples -- one reason why she's respected across the board.

Asked to compare the effectiveness of Clark County's effort with the state effort, she couldn't. "I can only tell you that after I see what's enacted."

While they took disparate approaches, Vilardo said both were worthwhile.

The 14 SAGE commissioners sought consensus and found it.

The county's 15 members, using a convoluted, confusing point system, made suggestions that some members loved and others loathed. Two members representing unions refused to even vote on the final recommendations, even though their weighted votes might have changed budget priorities. (The one person, one vote concept was placed so a member could throw a bunch of votes behind one idea, giving a misleading perception of how popular any particular idea was with the majority.)

Vilardo declined to favor one committee's method over another, circumspectly saying the SAGE Commission didn't have as many areas to concentrate on, so the members spent more time on issues and the evaluations were more in-depth.

"It was not a waste of time to do the county committee. There were things I learned I did not know, and that kind of information is important to me and my job, broadening her understanding of county agencies," Vilardo said.

Did she feel like a shill for elected officials who want to hide behind a commission? "I think that could be said of any committee formed," she replied. "A commission in many cases is political cover."

The objectives of both task forces were basically the same: Save money.

So were the top-ranked conclusions: Cut personnel costs.

Everything else pales in comparison.

But the latest budget shortfall estimates are horrifying.

The county just upped its estimate about how much of a shortfall it will face in fiscal 2011. Instead of a $126 million hole, it could be as high as $200 million.

Late Friday, the Economic Forum predicted that between now and the end of June 2011, there will be a revenue shortfall of $580 million. If the sum the state provides the schools is included, it's likely as much as $800 million.

Vilardo is patient. She knows firsthand it takes many legislative sessions to bring about change at the state level. The creation of a rainy day fund for the state, seemingly a no-brainer, took two sessions, she recalled.

But there isn't time for patience now. In Nevada, balancing the budget is the law. And while ideas proposed by the two cost-cutting task forces may be of some help, it's going to come down to cutting jobs or cutting salaries and benefits.

Salaries and benefits for firefighters are tops on the chopping block for the county. The state was advised to look at retirement and health benefits for state workers.

The budget deficits will force Nevada's elected officials to show their mettle. It's going to be a cruel, painful process as cuts worthy of Freddy Krueger take place.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 702- 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.