We posted on Facebook earlier this month that Nevada made Forbes’ recent list of “Best States for Business” in two categories; #7 for business costs and #6 for growth prospects.

Some residents pointed out that it should not be overlooked that Nevada also ranked #50 in economic climate and #49 in quality of life.

We applaud those individuals for engaging in these important issues facing our entire state. This opens up conversation on a well-known discussion here within City of Reno management.

From my perspective as Reno’s (relatively new) Finance Director, a strong Reno starts with strong fiscal management. I can tell you that this view is adamantly supported by our City Manager and the rest of our team. Without this foundation, we will be unable to deliver quality services to our citizens.

Reno is at a financial crossroad

The costs of pensions, health care, labor and general operations keep rising, and revenues from taxes and fees are either declining or not keeping pace with cost increases.  We are also limited on the ability to ask citizens to pay more in taxes and fees.

We need to operate with more efficiency and less expense. Instead of relying on across-the-board cuts or tax increases and account transfers, our plan is to pursue a more strategic approach.

Reno’s strategy for financial stability

The City of Reno is at a point where easy answers and one-time fixes are no longer enough to create financial stability. So we have a plan for where we intend to go.

•  It doesn’t make sense to continue to address simply year-to-year structural shortfalls. So we’re developing a multi-year model for funding and budgeting.

•  We want citizens to be able to see all of our monetary transactions in a simple online interface. It’s your money – you have every reason to see where it’s going.

•  We’re developing a Strategic Plan that outlines our Mission, Vision & Values. This will help staff plan their individual goals and objectives. We have so many people here who care, really care, about our City and what they do for it. To make this work, we all need to move in the same direction. Big ideas don’t mean much by themselves, so the plan will include timeframes for action items and performance measures to ensure accountability.

•  Bonds are a big issue! A complete review of the bonding program of the City is underway. It’s important that we:

– Meet financial obligations
– Implement a revised bonding policy
– Minimize interest costs
– Reduce the overall debt ratio

•  We’re continuing ongoing review of government operations to find improvements, and we’re reviewing our revenue streams to ensure the maximum (and appropriate) revenue is being received.

•  Reno isn’t the only one in this boat. We’ll work with other local and state governments for opportunities for regional solutions and intergovernmental cooperation.

•  We’re looking at ‘managed competition’ to identify areas that may offer efficiencies or savings by utilizing private vendors, and we’re reviewing our non-critical assets to see if there’s anything that makes sense to sell.

We only get so many people coming to our City Council meetings, or stopping by City Hall and sharing their ideas. I’d like to invite you to connect with us in any way you can. Through your participation online and with events like the Recharge Nevada Summit, you can help us get a better understanding of your ideas and concerns that matter to you.

Please feel free to comment below, and share this post to invite others in on the conversation.

My boss asked me to write something for this blog about an award we just received for our social media program. Although the award is from a well-respected organization and we have put a lot of work into interacting online… my first thought was that people wouldn’t care and we’d sound like we were tooting our own horn. An actual trophy arrived in the mail yesterday, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it.

Then something happened yesterday that reminded me why it’s important that the City of Reno keep trying to connect with people on social media, and that more people know about it.

This tweet came in at 11:40 a.m. on October 3:

Well that didn’t seem right. So we looked into it, and it turns out that the contractor for the project sent out notices Monday instead of Friday as planned. We talked with the owner of the referenced business and with the contractor, and made arrangements to maintain access to the business for customers during the time of construction.

Our Twitter post at 6:45 p.m.:

The behind-the-scenes activity that you didn’t see involved public works staff having conversations and an in-person visit with the business owner, working out a plan to make sure customers could get to the business, arranging for the crew superintendent to slurry the street earlier in the day, and communicating the results back to public information staff.

We decided from the beginning that if we were going to try to connect with people online, we needed to be responsive and have an internal process for addressing any issues. I’m grateful for the department support we have to make that happen, and that we have so many people here who really care.

So this morning I found a place for that little glass award on the shelf above the counter on the 12th floor of City Hall, and now I’m hoping someone asks what it’s for.

Please keep connecting with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr & LinkedIn!

Southwest Gas has submitted an application that, if approved, would raise natural gas residential rates in Northern Nevada $0.03 or .08% in the summer and $0.11 or .10% in the winter.

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada wants to give you an opportunity to learn more about it and express your concerns. The PUCN is holding a consumer session that will be videoconferenced from Las Vegas to Carson City on September 13, 2011. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in Hearing Room A, 1150 E. William Street, Carson City.

Reno Municipal Court is holding a “clean up” day for anyone who has an outstanding ticket or other unresolved issue.

The Court is offering citizens a deal: clean up old warrants, traffic tickets, failures to appear or comply, and other court problems – at a discount, and without being arrested or assessed additional warrant fees.

On Thursday, September 15, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Judge Dorothy Nash Holmes will be available to resolve any case that comes in, no matter how old it is. Most fines will be reduced by 50% (except those set by NRS) and must be paid in full that day by cash or credit card. Spanish-speaking staff will be available to assist people who have limited English proficiency.

No court hearings were scheduled for the “dark” week of September 12-16, so the four judges could attend the annual American Judges Association conference. This year, however, the judges decided not to attend the conference in order to save money.

In an effort to “clean up” thousands of old warrants and unresolved cases, Judge Holmes and staff have volunteered to hold open court on Thursday of that week to resolve any old or non-compliant case presented. “It’s an offer you can’t refuse,” says Judge Holmes.