No mega agency

Gov. Jim Gibbons has put the kibosh on discussions that might have led to the creation of a single economic development agency to represent all of rural Nevada.

That means continued independence for existing agencies that range from relatively big organizations such as Northern Nevada Development Authority in Carson City to tiny agencies such as the Mineral County Development Authority in Hawthorne.

And it marks a change in direction for state economic development officials, who were thinking seriously about a plan to roll up 13 economic development agencies statewide into three one for the Reno area, one for the Las Vegas area and one to serve rural areas.

That discussion was driven by tighter state budgets as well as a desire to see if economic development could be handled more efficiently, members of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development said in January.

But the governor told members of the Commission on Economic Development that he wouldn't support a combined agency for rural development.

Neither the governor nor Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, who serves as chair of the Commission on Economic Development, responded to requests to discuss the issue last week.

But in a letter to the Commission on Economic Development, Gibbons said creation of a single agency for rural areas "is not a viable option."

"Nevada is too large and too diverse for a one-size-fits-all economic development approach," the governor said, noting that local economic development agencies are experts on business opportunities, political climates and real estate markets in their communities.

"A roving person cannot replace full time staff with a stake in the community," Gibbons told members of the Commission on Economic Development.

He noted, too, that rural counties in Nevada face substantial challenges in jumpstarting their economies. Those challenges range from lack of water and lack of financing to the limited tax base that results from extensive ownership of land by the federal government.

Ron Weisinger, executive director of NNDA, said he believes the governor's directive to the Commission on Economic Development is intended to allow economic development agencies a seat at the table as their future is discussed.

"It says that in order to have effective change, you need to bring in those who will be affected," Weisinger said.

Rural economic development executives had complained privately that the earlier planning had progressed without their input.

Weisinger said the governor's directive doesn't necessarily mean that reorganization of the state's economic development system no longer will be discussed, and he said NNDA is willing to talk about ways to improve the system.

"NNDA is always open to dialogue with anyone who has a constructive suggestion to make the system better," he said.