Youth Center will cost more

While the Western Nevada Regional Youth center operates within its $1.25 million budget, the five counties that operate it will each have to find a little extra money this year to fund the facility.

The center, located in Silver Springs, failed to qualify last year for a roughly $130,00 Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Administration grant, leaving last year's budget a bit short.

Also, the consortium running the center -- comprising county managers, juvenile judges and chief juvenile probation officers from Carson City and Churchill, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties -- didn't budget enough money for the center's first year of operation.

Lyon County Manger Steve Snyder said his county will have to come up with as much as $60,000 to help shore up the center's budget. Carson City officials are expecting a $90,000 hit this year, while the amount of next year's increases, which each county will have to fund, remain uncertain.

The five counties split the operation costs, and each county can levy up to a 5 cent property tax to fund the facility. Carson City is the only county that hasn't levied any property tax to pay for the facility.

Through this year, each county's contribution is based on student enrollment. However, next year, each county will contribute 25 percent of their share based on student enrollment and 75 percent on how much each county uses the facility.

Center Director Lon Cook said he expects to start offering unused beds to counties outside the consortium to help defray the cost of this year's operation increases. He expects to earn as much as $100,000.

This year, Carson City will fund about $250,000 of the center's budget; Churchill, $140,000; Douglas, $205,000; Lyon, $194,000; and Storey, $13,000.