Ways and Means approves university system audit

The Assembly Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday voted to recommend a major audit of Nevada's university system.

AB148 was introduced by Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, and backed by several other lawmakers. It calls for an extensive audit of the university and community college system ranging from the operations of the Board of Regents to contracting procedures and administrative costs.

Perkins said lawmakers need better details on how the university system is operating and how it is spending both state and other monies it collects each year.

University system officials managed to stop the proposal in the 2001 Legislature. This year, they raised questions about previous attempts by auditors to get access to confidential personnel reviews of university officials. Campus faculty representatives argued that would be an invasion of their privacy. The issue of how far into those records auditors should be allowed still hasn't been resolved.

University system officials also argued it should not have to pay the $90,000 estimated cost of the audit, that lawmakers should appropriate the money.

Perkins rejected that reasoning Wednesday.

"I think certainly in a billion-dollar budget, they can afford the $90,000," he said.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend passage of the bill ordering the audit by the full Assembly.