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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A legislative budget panel voted as expected Thursday to go against Gov. Jim Gibbons’ recommendation to merge the Nevada Commission on Tourism with the Commission on Economic Development.
Gibbons’ proposal was part of broad efforts to reduce a looming state budget shortfall of about $3 billion. The biggest savings achieved by the merger would be nearly $300,000 over two years through elimination of the director’s position in the Commission on Tourism.
Lawmakers had been told there is little overlap in functions of the two commissions, and both are critical to raising money for the state.
“Once we sat down together between the two agencies and looked at the functions of their staff and the functions of our staff, and then we looked at advertising from their perspective and how we do marketing, it became more clear that it wasn’t as closely aligned as we thought it might be,” said Mike Skaggs, director of the Commission on Economic Development. “Everybody is satisfied.”
The Senate-Assembly budget panel also voted to restore an additional $350,000 in each year of the next two fiscal years for advertising buys.
“To cut too much in the primary function, which is the promotion, advertising and marketing, at a time when we need to promote our state, it seems counterproductive,” said Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas. “And while I understand balancing the cuts across other functions, if you undermine your primary function, the other stuff doesn’t matter.”
Lawmakers also were told that competitors have heard that Nevada is hurting, and they are trying to take the state’s market share. The budget panel members agreed.
“Timing is everything,” said Assemblyman Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas. “We want to hit people just before they have the money, right when they’re in a position to think about travel.”
Though the panel added back positions and funding that were cut from the governor’s budget, it also decided on cuts, so the add-back number was minimal.
One decision made was to close Nevada’s tourism office in China.
“Our primary marketing audience is not in China right now,” Horsford said. “I respect that we want to keep some presence, but when we’re just trying to keep the rooms in Nevada full, we need to do it with the strategies which are more regional and national at this point.”
Gibbons’ proposal was part of broad efforts to reduce a looming state budget shortfall of about $3 billion. The biggest savings achieved by the merger would be nearly $300,000 over two years through elimination of the director’s position in the Commission on Tourism.
Lawmakers had been told there is little overlap in functions of the two commissions, and both are critical to raising money for the state.
“Once we sat down together between the two agencies and looked at the functions of their staff and the functions of our staff, and then we looked at advertising from their perspective and how we do marketing, it became more clear that it wasn’t as closely aligned as we thought it might be,” said Mike Skaggs, director of the Commission on Economic Development. “Everybody is satisfied.”
The Senate-Assembly budget panel also voted to restore an additional $350,000 in each year of the next two fiscal years for advertising buys.
“To cut too much in the primary function, which is the promotion, advertising and marketing, at a time when we need to promote our state, it seems counterproductive,” said Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas. “And while I understand balancing the cuts across other functions, if you undermine your primary function, the other stuff doesn’t matter.”
Lawmakers also were told that competitors have heard that Nevada is hurting, and they are trying to take the state’s market share. The budget panel members agreed.
“Timing is everything,” said Assemblyman Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas. “We want to hit people just before they have the money, right when they’re in a position to think about travel.”
Though the panel added back positions and funding that were cut from the governor’s budget, it also decided on cuts, so the add-back number was minimal.
One decision made was to close Nevada’s tourism office in China.
“Our primary marketing audience is not in China right now,” Horsford said. “I respect that we want to keep some presence, but when we’re just trying to keep the rooms in Nevada full, we need to do it with the strategies which are more regional and national at this point.”
