Coronavirus: Clark County commissioners make budget cuts anticipating COVID-19 economic impact

CLARK COUNTY — The Board of Clark County Commissioners is cutting money from their budget in anticipation of the negative economic impact that the coronavirus may have on local government funding.

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The board is expecting sales tax revenue losses in particular to affect their budget, they said in a release.

As part of the budget cuts, the commission will be furloughing employees in their general fund departments for 80 hours throughout the year which will save them $370,000.

“Each elected official will make the determination about whether or not to furlough employees in their office,” said Melanie Flax Wilt, Clark County commission president.

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The furloughing is approximately equivalent to the 10 paid holidays remaining this year, they said.

Another $700,000 will be saved by implementing processes such as:

• Immediate hiring freeze
• No trainings, travel, or education reimbursement unless already commenced
• Make essential purchases only
• Review budgets to determine where possible 20-25% cuts could occur
• Document all COVID-19 expenditures and submit reimbursement
• Freeze all capital improvement projects or equipment purchases unless already commenced.

Overall, the county is planning to cut $4.7 million from their general fund budget.

"The emergency funds will certainly come into play as the situation becomes more dire, but we can't deplete our reserves before being prudent with cuts," Flax Wilt said.

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Clark County currently has $6.3 million in their rainy day fund, they said.

“This is a difficult time for so many in our community, and it’s no different in local government," said Flax Wilt.

“We’re making proactive and practical decisions to reduce the long-term impact this could have on our team members and the residents they serve.”

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