Director’s December Update

This is the Director’s update sent to DCNR employees yesterday.

The Governor and legislative leaders have been meeting during the last few weeks and appear to have determined, at least conceptually, a way to address the Fiscal Year 2009 (ends June 30, 2009) budget shortfall. There is no silver bullet here and the short term solution will include a number of financial actions including likely additional budget reductions. The good news is that these cuts may not be as deep as previously feared. The legislature will again meet in special session on December 8 and 9 to ratify these solutions. While this will hopefully be a “stopgap” through next summer, the 2009 regular session (which begins in February 2009) will have to address the Fiscal Year 2010 and 2011 shortfalls which are projected to be well over $1 billion.
 
The division administrators are meeting regularly with Deputy Director Kay Scherer and me on the budget situation and ways to address our portion of the shortfall. As always, the welfare of our most valuable department resource, our employees, are our first priority.

DCNR Budget Update

[Editor's note: This is an email sent in June by Director Allen Biaggi to DCNR employees.]

Good afternoon to everyone in DCNR.

To say these are trying times is an understatement. State revenues continue to be weak, resulting in the need for DCNR’s administration and budget staff to evaluate further cuts for the 2009 fiscal year as well as the next biennium (more below). These reductions have the potential to fundamentally change the way we do business and achieve our agency mandates. I will continue to work with the agency administrators to identify the necessary budget reductions while still providing essential services to our customers and regulated communities.

I would like to thank DCNR’s Deputy Director, Kay Scherer for her hard work and professionalism in understanding the extremely complicated reduction directives and guiding us through this process. It is critical we make our reductions in a logical and strategic way, understanding the implications to our programs, employees and Nevada’s citizens. I want to make this process as transparent as possible and keep the lines of communication open with all DCNR employees.

Allen Biaggi
Director