Lyon County's budget is growing.
It is not as large as Clark or Washoe County's, or even Carson City's, but $26.8 million is a lot of money.
Once checks are mailed off to the county treasurer, and as long as rumors of a tax increase are not in the air, not many people pay much attention to their tax dollars. They may gripe and complain about how much they are paying, but other than wanting smooth roads, most do not seem particularly concerned as to how their money is eventually spent.
However, when budgets run tight and tax increases are called for, people scream and holler that government is being wasteful. They demand "waste" be eliminated. Not knowing exactly where the 'waste' is, they demand all those 'unnecessary, malingering' workers (their words, not mine) be removed from county payrolls. They ask why we need a county manager and say those conferences in Florida, California, Chicago, etc., that county employees seem to be constantly attending, are unnecessary.
However, when coffers are full, no questions are asked. No one pays attention when additional positions are created, department budgets begin to bulge, and travel stipends increase. Those 'unnecessary, malingering' workers are forgotten entities.
Perhaps more questions should be asked during prosperous times.
During the lean years of 1993/94 through 1997/98, the county's total budget went from approximately $14 million to $18.6 million, an increase of $4.6 million in five years. (The 1996 budget was actually less than in1995.)
General Fund expenditures, the major portion of the budget, went from $9 million to $12.5 million, an increase of $3.5 million in those same five years.
Thanks to the benefits of additional revenue sources, by 1998/99 Lyon County's economic fortunes had drastically improved. And so did the spending habits of the five people controlling the purse strings.
If the estimated 2001 budget of $26.8 million holds true, total budget expenditures will have increased $8.2 million in just the past three years.
General Fund expenditures for 2001 have been estimated at $18 million, an increase of $5.5 million since 1998.
Aside from the normal cost of living increases, making up for years of budget constraints had to eventually lead to some degree of increased spending. By necessity, many needs had been put on hold during those lean years and reserve funds had been depleted.
In the past three years, a portion of the county's healthy revenue flow has been used to establish solid contingency and 'rainy day' funds. Funding was set aside to enable the building of much needed new county office's pace. This is money well spent.
Other, relatively unquestioned expenditures could be a little more debatable.
A few years ago, 10 new positions in the Sheriff's Department were funded. The county now has a full time legislative lobbyist.
A new Animal Control Department has been created, necessitating the creation of a new department head position. Thousands of dollars have been tossed out to local master plan review committees. Employee travel/schooling expenses are creeping up, with 2001 projected costs at least one-third more than in 1998.
Commissioners have readily supported tax abatements for new industry and are looking for ways to bring more roads into the maintained mileage system.
Are all of the above good investments of your tax dollars? Only time and close attention to the numbers will tell. For example: In 1998, the county's supervisory structure was reorganized and, on the premise that more on staff engineering expertise was needed, the position of county engineer was created. When the position was filled in the fall of 1998 I assumed this would mean the use of outside consulting engineer and professional services would not be required as often as in the past.
Well, in 1997/98, Lyon County Utilities (Dayton Water and Sewer, Moundhouse Water and Willowcreek General Improvement District) spent a combined total of $34,600 for outside professional and consulting engineer services. Projected costs for 2000/01 are $77,000.
Worth it?
Lyon County's growth rate over the past 10 years has been staggering. Additional employees and additional office space are expected needs. Sooner or later, vehicles and equipment must be replaced or upgraded. Law enforcement must have the ability to cope with problems associated with an increasing population. New or upgraded sewer facilities are needed to meet the demands of growth in what is still a relatively rural county.
How many? How often? At what cost? Is it a priority need? Will future revenues cover today's expenditure?
There is always something to spend money on and, seemingly, never enough to go around. So why is it that when the coffers are full, but there is not enough money to properly improve county parks or build long awaited community centers or properly fund an animal control facility, the taxpayer says nothing about those "unnecessary, malingering" county workers, says nothing about waste in government, says nothing about those conferences?
It is when the coffers are full that the questions most need to be asked.
Think about it.