Budget balanced without reserves

Douglas County's $121 million budget is balanced without use of reserves, but commissioners were told Thursday the effort cost a reduction or elimination of some popular county programs.

"The board directed the Douglas County budgets " general fund, room tax and senior services " be balanced without reserves. We've done that, but there will be some significant cuts," said T. Michael Brown, interim county manager.

Programs that are to be eliminated or altered include Santa Calling, teen gym, summer recreation department trips, adult and youth sports, and reduction in hours of operation at the county libraries and Kahle Community Center.

The county's deficit grew from $137,000 in March to $482,000 by the end of April, but Brown said Thursday the budget was balanced through a half-dozen changes.

The savings include:

- $124,000 reduction in travel expenditures;

- $113,000 by discontinuing vacation and sick leave buy-back program;

- $40,000 by removing transfer to China Spring youth camp;

- $50,000 reduction in sheriff's capital outlay (cost covered by reimbursement);

- $77,000 reduction in professional services (budget moved to appropriate fund);

- $78,000 charging 100 percent of project manager's time to capital construction funds.

Brown credited department heads, elected officials and their employees with absorbing the cutbacks to balance the budget.

"We do this as a team," Brown said. "There is participation by everybody."

Departments across the board have vacancies that are authorized but unfunded for a total of 26 full-time equivalent positions, Brown said.

Library director Linda Deacy said her employees were willing to reduce their work hours so no staff members would lose their jobs.

"They said, 'I'll work less hours every week if it means you won't have to lay off someone,'" Deacy told commissioners.

In order to make up an 18 percent cut, the Minden library branch will open an hour later and close an hour earlier and the Tahoe branch is to close Sunday through Tuesday.

"We tried not to eliminate any services to school-age children," Deacy said. She said programs may be offered once a month instead of every three weeks.

The summer reading program " the library's largest with 900 children participating last year " will not be affected. Deacy said.

"We're hoping the economy is just going to skyrocket and we won't have to have this discussion again," Deacy said.

Community Services Director Scott Morgan said funding cuts would mean deferred park maintenance and the elimination of programs including Santa Calling, teen open gyms, summer trips, special events, contract classes and adult and youth sports, and reduction in hours at the Kahle Community Center and Gymnasium.

"These are the impacts that affect our citizens," Morgan said. "You'll probably see some brown spots in our parks."

Morgan said he was concerned about the loss of staff at night and on weekends.

"This is the first time since I've been here " and probably in Douglas County's history " that calls regarding the parks will go to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office or not be responded to," Morgan said.

He said the department retained a half-time position for a coordinator so the popular concerts in the park series and functions at the senior center, including the car show and health fair, will continue.

"We literally had to pry some of these programs out of the hands of our staff," he said. "There was a real resistance to seeing them discontinued."

Young at Heart senior citizens' club member Paul Lockwood criticized the proposed elimination of a $10,000 grant to the club and cutbacks in the county's homemaker program for house-bound seniors.

"Every dollar you reduce in the homemaker program means a 10-fold increase in social services," Lockwood said.

He said Young at Heart would continue to hold programs.

"We are not going to allow any special events to go away," he said. "We are scheduling them anyway. Taking away a $10,000 grant to Young at Heart is ludicrous."

Commissioner Kelly Kite took exception to public comments that poor planning and rapid growth were responsible for the shortfall.

"I keep hearing jabs at 'mismanagement,'" Kite said. "Nobody complained about mismanagement when we were the second lowest county in the state in property tax. We didn't misspend the money. We just didn't collect it from you in the first place. When revenues go down, you run a lean operation and programs get cut."

Commissioner Jim Baushke said compared to the rest of Nevada, Douglas County was in good shape.

"We've got to get some companies to move in who pay a decent wage for people to live here. That takes a long, long time to do it," he said.

Baushke pointed out the Young at Heart wasn't the program that lost a grant.

"We cut everybody," he said. "We just don't have the funds. I think we're going to be able to survive if people are willing to pitch in and help. I think we're into it for another year or two."

The board voted 4-0 to accept the budget. Commissioner David Brady was absent.

The final budget is set for adoption May 19.