This week Douglas County's governments finalize their budgets with just the faintest hints of what's to come.
Most of the budgets approved by county commissioners, school board members and a variety of local governments are locked in after months of work.
But one very key piece of information is lacking, how much the Nevada Legislature is going to pick out of their pockets in order to balance the state's budget.
The Legislature is already helping itself to the $50 million that helps pay for medical care for indigents involved in accidents. The state is also talking about increasing the commission the state charges local government to collect the sales and use tax. Washoe and Clark counties are in danger of losing a portion of their property taxes to the state.
In all, the state would be taking about $200 million out of county budgets to balance their budgets.
Every nickel of this money was used by the counties to balance their budgets. It's like your boss coming up to you on payday and saying he forgot to withhold another $200 from your paycheck.
The Legislature has written $980 million in promises to state departments over the last four months. Now they have to find the money to cover those promises. They might as well write legislation that charges each Nevadan $376 for the privilege of living here over the next two years.
