Pass-down proposals continue despite hopes

Pass-down budget pressures mostly from health and human services funding proposals advanced by Gov. Brian Sandoval's administration aren't likely to disappear from Carson City's spending-guide horizon.

City Manager Larry Werner and Finance Director Nick Providenti say they had accounted for that probability regarding pass-downs from the state, as they have in the past, even though some hope for relief came earlier from Nevada Health and Human Services officials.

After Sandoval released his budget plan for the next two fiscal years, the city conducted an analysis to determine the impact. With pass-downs still in, Werner looked to keep other budgeting problems at bay.

"Hopefully," Werner said, "we won't see any increases either."

"We're still getting the pass-downs," said Providenti. "We've already got them budgeted. It seems like we're going to be OK."

He said the pass-downs were mostly in health and human services, though some small amounts also were in juvenile detention, judicial matters and pre-sentence investigations. He said all told the cost to the city would be about $500,000.

As city government goes forward with its own crafting of a Fiscal 2013-14 spending plan, Providenti said he also would watch for any change at the state level on indigent care costs that the state and city share.

Pass-downs of budgetary costs from state to local government jurisdictions in Nevada occurred during the recent economic slump amid accompanying state budget cuts.