County to hold special budget meeting

Anxiety runs high among Clark County department heads when the challenging task of presenting their funding needs to finance administrators ends and the final budget recommendations arrive.

Clark County commissioners called a special meeting for Monday to discuss their budget of $722.7 million and review recommendations, which include 255 new positions to help various divisions catch up with growth.

The burst in the Las Vegas Valley's population has affected every county department, but some are so overburdened even a couple new employees are worth celebrating.

"We're thrilled to death to have two new positions," said Linda Ley, manager of the county's Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. "We know we're not the only game out there asking for more help."

CASA, a program under District Court, is one of many county divisions that will benefit from the $7 million allocated for new positions during the 1999-2000 fiscal year.

Federal law requires that a volunteer advocate be assigned to every child caught up in the state child-care system. Clark County has about 1,300 children in the system; CASA represents fewer than 500 at any given time.

CASA's two newly funded positions -- a legal secretary and a program administrator -- will allow the program to bring in as many as 70 new volunteers. Ley said volunteers are vital to a child's well-being because state caseworkers simply don't have enough time to become acquainted with their clients.

"Sometimes people don't think of these children as kids with hopes and dreams and hobbies," Ley said. "CASA volunteers spend so much time with them they can tell the judge, 'Hey, this kid dreams of being a basketball star.' "

Ley said that nationally, a CASA volunteer handles an average of 35 children at a time; in Clark County, the volunteers typically oversee about 60 youths.

"These two new positions don't mean these kids are going to be living in the lap of luxury," she said.

District Court, which expects to get 10 new positions for a total of $340,000 in salary and benefits, will receive three more employees to enhance its self-help program and an attorney for its arbitration and discovery division.

Attorney Tom Beggar will welcome an additional lawyer in his office. Last year, Beggar processed 15,000 civil cases for discovery -- the fact-finding process for hearings involving the county.

But perhaps the District Court position that will be immediately noticed by the public is an additional assistant in jury services. Court Administrator Chuck Short said the position, coupled with a new computer system, should trim court services lines and reduce the time people calling about jury duty are kept on hold.

Short said the county has hired new judges over the years, which has bumped up the number of cases handled in Clark County. Yet until this year, staff to support the additional cases hadn't been funded.

Family and Youth Services is as affected by growth as any other county division and, with the County Commission's blessing, the division will get 86 new positions at a cost of about $1.2 million during the next fiscal year.

Also receiving a significant number of new positions from the county's general fund is the Parks and Recreation Department. Thirteen staff members will be hired to help staff new recreation centers throughout the valley.

Parks and recreation director Glenn Trowbridge expects to receive two new maintenance workers to handle about 90 acres of parkland expected to open during the year. Seven employees will be hired to help staff two new recreation centers -- the Cambridge Community Center and a new wing at the Parkdale Parks and Recreation Center.

Finance administrators are recommending that Airport Director Randall Walker also receive more staffing to help accommodate the 85,000 passengers who pass through McCarran International Airport every day.

Funding and positions are also needed to assist with the airport's new computer system. Unlike many airports where airlines own computers at the gate podiums, the county owns and maintains the computers at McCarran. Walker said the system allows for more flexibility because airlines can use any gate.

The airport is also expanding a trial program currently used by Reno Air at Imperial Palace hotel-casino. The county provides equipment and computers that allow Reno Air passengers to check their baggage and pick up a boarding pass before they leave the hotel.

In its report to commissioners, county staff also made the following budgetary recommendations from the general fund:

* Clark County Fire Department should receive 38 new positions to help staff two new fire stations in the Valley.

* The District Attorney's office should receive money for six positions, three of which had previously been funded by a grant.

* The Election Department expects four new employees, one of whom will manage the successful early voting program.

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