City Hall overcomes fiscal challenge

Carson City supervisors, administrators and staff are to be congratulated for the fiscal conservatism that has given them some breathing room in the budget.

It hasn't been an easy year for either the local or statewide economy, which translates into a tight squeeze on expenses at City Hall. Supervisors not only held the line, they cut back on staff, froze spending in some accounts and made some unpopular decisions when they turned down requests for funding.

Last week, they were told to expect to have about $700,000 that could go back into delayed purchases or other one-time expenses. It's a surprisingly good position to be in, and it gives them the opportunity to look at spending priorities again.

The city's contingency fund, which has been drawn down from $500,000 to little more than $2,000, is an obvious place to start. While the economic signs are good, there's no shame in planning for the next rainy day.

And then there's the successful Continuous Quality Improvement program, which was scaled back when times were tough but has proven to be an excellent investment on behalf of taxpayers. It basically encourages departments to find ways to be more efficient and productive. Yes, sometimes it takes money to save money, especially when it comes to upgrading equipment.

With so much of its revenue coming from sales taxes, City Hall still has some budgetary challenges to face. It's encouraging to see how well this one was met.