D OUGLAS C OUNTY , N EVADA
N EWS Y OU C AN U SE V OLUME 2, I SSUE 15
M AY , 2013 I NSIDE
P RIORITY B UDGETING L EADS R OADS
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$1 M ILLION F OR
On May 20th, the Board of County Commissioners approved the final budgets for the County, towns, East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts and the Redevelopment Agency, utilizing a new priority based budgeting program. Douglas County is the first county in the nation to implement priority based budgeting and has used the process to add value for taxpayers by successfully balancing its budget, stabilizing its revenues and expenses, and shifting over one million dollars of property tax revenue to preventative road maintenance. The County has faced multi-million dollar imbalances in its General Fund over the past several years, due to declining revenues and increasing expenses, but has been able to close the structural imbalance by focusing on long range financial forecasting, planning and prioritization. The Fiscal Year 2013-14 (FY13-14) budget, beginning July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, totals approximately $120 million over 62 funds. The County has worked cooperatively with its labor unions to stabilize personnel expenses, including salary reductions and merit freezes for four years. (Continued Page 3)
THIS ISSUE :
Reduce Wildfire 2 threats Cowboy festival 2 Continued.. Genoa in VIA magazine
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Commissioners and Staff Hike new paved trail
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FAQ S
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GENOA COWBOY FESTIVAL; ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR It’s too soon to release official final reports on the 2013 Genoa Cowboy Festival, but according to Town Manager, Sheryl Gonzales, the event did see an increase in attendance and was overall a success. “The entertainment was world class, the day pass was the value of the century and the ambiance of Genoa makes the event work well,” said Gonzales. “There was a good positive feeling from everyone.” This was the 4th annual event and the festival featured a variety of western art, Carson Valley history and culture, and cowboy music and poetry. The event also featured tours of historic Carson Valley ranches, some working and some preserved. Western and Native American culture was honored and celebrated through a variety of activities and events. “I think this event not only showcases Genoa, but it showcases the history of the valley,” said Gonzales. “The ranch tours brought people behind the scenes and gave people a first hand look at things they otherwise wouldn’t see.” Many items on the itinerary were also free to the public such as Western Art Galleries, Dutch Oven Cooking, The Mountain Men Encampment, Wrangler Rich Cowboy Gear Demo, Roving Entertainers, Leather Carving, Blacksmithing and Western Mercantile Row. Along with the Town of Genoa, a host of over 150 volunteers helped to bring the festival to life. With the town of Genoa under renovation, event volunteers and Town staff successfully managed to maneuver the public through Genoa’s renovation set against the backdrop of the Sierras. (Continued Page 2 )
Dave Stamey was just one of the many performers who entertained at the festival.