Governmental review makes long list of recommendations to improve state government

Members of a special governor's committee said Thursday more than 60 changes are needed to improve state government.

However, a large number of the proposals would require more money in the next budget rather than less.

Deputy Budget Director Don Hataway said the state needs to make those changes so it can handle growing needs.

"We looked at a lot of these that way," he said. "They'll take more dollar amounts for the next executive budget but for the long-range needs of the state, you've got to do it to survive."

The Governor's Steering Committee to Conduct a Fundamental Review of State Government was appointed by Gov. Kenny Guinn to improve state government and save taxpayers' money.

The laundry list of recommendations now goes to Guinn who will decide which of them to build into his budget for the next two years.

The recommendations include creating a state Department of Revenue to handle collections of all state revenues such as property, sales and gaming taxes, Department of Motor Vehicles collections, gas taxes and employment security taxes. Another recommendation is to create a consolidated, professional division to handle all appeals hearings for state agencies and the move to consolidate now separate departments as divisions within the administration.

A number of the recommendations focus on improving planning at the state level. One calls for a multi-year capital improvement plan for state building needs. Administration Director Perry Comeaux said the goal is a 10-year program so maintenance, repair and construction needs and funding for them can be planned well in advance.

Similar proposals call for development of long-range fiscal planning for agency budgets and consolidation of similar services, such as those benefiting seniors.

In addition, at the urging of state education officials and Elko Schools Superintendent Marcia Bandera, who is a member of the committee, they urged the executive branch and Legislature to work out which board or commission is in charge of public education policies.

Backers of the plan say the creation of legislative committees on education, standards in education, technology and others have usurped the authority of the elected State Board of Education, leaving school districts and others confused.

"We have all these boards and commissions," steering committee member Dale Erquiaga agreed. "Sweep them all away. Have one appointed board that runs it."

One consolidation plan combining Family to Family centers with Family Resource Centers around the state met with some objection.

Cynthia Freeman, of Family to Family in the Fallon, Lovelock and Winnemucca areas, said she was concerned Family to Family customers wouldn't go to the centers if they were combined with the resource center in Winnemucca because it is moving to the juvenile justice facility.

Similar concerns about the different clientele served by the two programs were also expressed at an earlier meeting.

"I am offended by the notion people would not use services because it would force them to interact with members of another socioeconomic group or another ethnic group," Erquiaga said.

Terri Murphy of the committee said government has the responsibility to provide services through the resource centers to those who really need them.

"But I don't believe it's the role of government to provide services to people who can pay for those services," she said, referring to the centers which are open to all new parents. The committee recommended combining facilities for the two programs.

County and city officials expressed concern some of the recommendations would dump mandates on local government without providing the money to do the job.

Nevada Association of Counties Director Bob Hadfield has repeatedly expressed concern that local governments get the money to do the job when given the responsibility, but said after the meeting local governments are mostly concerned with having the freedom to handle their own affairs.

"Local government thought we should be given more flexibility to deal with issues at the local level and I'm pleased they gave us support for some of that," he said.

Among the recommendations approved by the committee is one which allows local governments to join in regional compacts to provide certain special services, much like the juvenile justice facility in Silver Springs.

Also encouraged are similar agreements between local governments and state agencies.

State agencies would also gain some flexibility under several of the recommendations, including one which would allow agencies to keep a percentage of any budget savings they can generate to be used for high-tech equipment or training.

And the committee voted to recommend adding another pay step in the scale for state workers. This allows the 40 percent of state workers at the top pay level another step increase of about 4 percent. Budget officials said this would cost up to $14 million more a year.