Members of the Interim Finance Committee agreed with the Gibbons administration Monday that Nevada needs someone in charge of monitoring the $2.2 billion in stimulus money the state will receive over the coming biennium.
But the proposal they approved came out far different than what the administration proposed.
Instead of being created inside the governor's office as a cabinet-level position, the so-called stimulus czar will be selected by and report to the state controller's office. And it will be filled at a much lower level - a budget analyst's position.
Administration Director Andrew Clinger presented the plan, saying the position and its executive assistant could be quickly hired if created as a non-classified position in the governor's office, whereas it would take a month or more to have personnel develop a classified job position.
"It seems more like a technical person to me," said Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks. "A more appropriate location would be in the budget office or the controller's office."
She said that would distance the position from political pressure.
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said a budget analyst's position, capped at about $100,000 a year, should be able to handle the job.
Democrats voted along party lines to hand the post to the controller, instructing staff to reduce the requested $257,709 budget appropriately for the lower paid stimulus czar and his or her assistant.