A way to plug a $1.2 million deficit in the 2009-10 county fiscal year budget led to various suggestions at a county workshop Tuesday, like charging organizations for sheriff's department overtime at special events, such as the Pahrump Fall Festival.

Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said he has 50 volunteers in his department who save the county over $1 million annually serving papers, doing traffic control and search and rescue.

But they're unable to make arrests.

Nye County Comptroller Bill Seymore said DeMeo's department accounts for three-quarters of the $1.4 million in overtime the county pays out annually. The billing of sheriff's department overtime for special events would save $65,000, he said.

County commissioner Butch Borasky asked to see a list of events that could be billed for sheriff's department overtime. He was concerned that may force events to be canceled.

"I'd like to see what's on that list. It could mean those events may not appear due to one additional charge," Borasky said.

DeMeo said the majority of sheriff's department overtime comes from the annual Fall Festival. He said quite a few organizations also request coverage for a parade, but sheriff's deputies aren't required if it's on private property, like the recent Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce Mardi Gras Festival.

There was another suggestion to bill insurance companies for overtime on traffic accidents, which Seymore said could save $109,000. DeMeo said insurance companies were billed for some sheriff's department overtime after the Mountain View Casino fire.

The sheriff said he's concerned that with projections of $110 million in construction projects under way in Pahrump next year -- the federal detention center and a new Walmart Superstore -- the county didn't implement the half-cent sales tax increase allowed during the 2007 state legislature to be split equally between the sheriff's department and county fire departments.

Commissioner Joni Eastley asked whether a notice to proceed to begin construction has been issued to Corrections Corporation of America for the federal detention center project.

"No, but they were expecting it any day when we talked last Friday," Assistant County Manager Pam Webster said.

Commissioner Fely Quitevis said the county is unsure whether the two projects will be constructed next year. She asked Webster what the chances are.

"I would say the probability of the detention center is 99 percent and I think Walmart is equally close, and we all know the infrastructure has to be working for them too," Webster said.

Seymore said while department heads came up with suggestions for $1.26 million in cuts over the past two weeks, Nye County is still facing a $1.3 million deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year, though that allows a $500,000 contingency and a $500,000 ending fund balance.

The county could trim that deficit by $900,000 by eliminating the county's 4 percent STEP increase paid to each employee, Seymore said. That would require approval of the employee's union.

The cost-of-living adjustment normally tacked onto that will be less than 1 percent this year due to the consumer price index, he said, meaning employees wouldn't receive any pay raises this year if both suggestions were enacted.

Seymore suggested transferring employees to a more cost effective medical plan, which could save $280,000 annually. Retired county employees could be transferred to a Medicare supplement plan or less costly coverage saving another $200,000, he said.

"There are one or two plans that our employees could switch to which would not have a significant impact on them, but it would have a significant impact on the cost of it," Seymore said.

Otherwise, medical costs could increase 8 to 25 percent next year, Seymore said depending on the type of plan.

"If no changes were made, our total expenses would go up approximately $325,000 a year simply by the increase in the rates relating to all medical benefits for our employees," Seymore said.

Webster will present more information to county commissioners at their regular meeting in Tonopah next Tuesday.

Webster said she'll have more information on a pro forma final projection from the Nevada Department of Taxation that shows property tax abatements could cost Nye County $2 million in revenue next year.

While the Nye County Board of Equalization granted an across-the-board 15 percent reduction in the valuation of improvements for 524 parcels in the Mountain Falls subdivision and another group of parcels in the Mayfield Ranch Estates subdivision, Webster said that wouldn't add up to $2 million.

DeMeo presented a separate report. He said his department cut the cost of prisoner meals from $5.73 per inmate per day in January to $4.26 per day in March. A warehouse to store bulk food would help, he said.

A Dictaphone system freed up five patrol deputies' positions, which is equivalent to at least $356,465 annually, DeMeo said.

One inmate with a $25,000 per month medical bill was transferred to the Nevada State Prison system at a cost of $250 per day, the sheriff said.

"I don't believe in taxation by tickets." DeMeo said. He calculated it costs the sheriff's department $20.24 to write a traffic citation, in an average time of 15 minutes.

"We don't realize any money in our budget from citations, and even if it was, I don't think it would be enough to offset some of the costs."

While the population in Pahrump increased over five years from 2003 to 2008 by 27.8 percent, DeMeo said the crime rate dropped by 28.9 percent. But the sheriff said domestic violence incidents increased 260 percent from 2007 to 2008 -- an effect of the economic situation.

DeMeo also talked about a completely paperless system.

Seymore, who has only been on the job 30 days, gave a PowerPoint presentation with bar charts.

Employee costs account for three-quarters of the county budget, Seymore said. The number of full-time positions in general government gradually increased from 104.5 in the 2005-06 fiscal year to over 130 by the 2007-08 year. The public safety branch had 129.5 employees in 2005, rising to 149 this year and next. Judicial employees rose from 51.5 to 61.5 this year and 64 next year.

Employee costs rose from $19.5 million in the general fund in the 2005-06 year to a projected $28.85 million for next year.