Legislature’s money grab irks commissioners

The state Legislature acted unfairly and behind closed doors when it decided to grab almost $100 million from the county in the next two years, Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid said Tuesday.

The state Assembly approved late Monday taking $60 million of the county's general fund money and about $38 million of transportation funds to help plug the state's budget holes. All the money comes from local property taxes.

Commissioners also agreed to scrap the redevelopment program and divert $11 million a year of the program's tax money to the state.

Reid was visibly irked as he talked of lawmakers working in private on strategies that probably affected the county.

"The problem is we have the open meeting law that the Legislature passed and then promptly exempted itself from," Reid said at a commission meeting. "So it's hard to know what happens and what decisions are made and why they are made."

There's widespread speculation that Reid will run for governor, possibly against Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

Reid said the county responded in good faith to the state's request for an alternative to taking $60 million in general fund money. The county offered transportation money and the redevelopment fund, which add up to $60 million.

The state took both.

That prompted Commissioner Tom Collins to say: "We misread the request. I think the request from the Legislature was, 'Show us your wallet.' "

Reid questioned whether a payroll tax on local governments would be a fairer way to generate revenue.

"It would require Clark County to pay more, but it would spread the burden across government agencies," Reid said.

Fairness is one of the principles that the Legislature espoused but showed little evidence of following during the session, Reid said.

In Carson City, State Budget Director Andrew Clinger said the governor chose to target the counties because their revenues have grown about 38 percent faster than the state's in recent years, and county workers are paid about 38 percent more than state employees.

Still, Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said he "opposed from the get-go" what he saw as "theft" from the county. Lawmakers were passing the buck, he said.

"If we are going to steal this money from Clark County, we ought to steal it from everybody," he said. "Do it in the open. Just create the taxes that all citizens pay, regardless of what city or county they come from."

George Stevens, the county's finance director, said the state should dip into the capital improvements pot. The county's fees for infrastructure upgrades will generate $1 billion in 2010.

And if lawmakers skimmed 6 percent of the money spent statewide on such improvements in a year, it would have $730 million, enough to offset its two-year shortfall, Stevens said.

Review-Journal reporter Molly Ball contributed to this report. Contact reporter Scott Wyland at 702-455-4519 or swyland@reviewjournal.com.