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By Sean Whaley | Nevada News Bureau
Steven Horsford
CARSON CITY — Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford said Thursday that he is disappointed that a number of state agencies are seeking to divert funds intended to fill vacant jobs to other purposes, including buying vehicles, computers and furniture.
He accused them of “gaming the system” by seeking to shift their budget priorities one year after the Legislature adjourned and as the 2012 fiscal year comes to a close June 30.
“Now, a year later from us adjourning, we have agencies here requesting to move money from the personnel category, because you have been unable to fill the vacancies, for whatever reason, and now you want to spend it on furniture, on computers, on vehicles that you did not request or that you did not justify during the budget process,” Horsford said. “And I have to say, I take offense to that.”
Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said he would be voting against all of the requests. He made the statement as the meeting of the Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee began. The committee meets between legislative sessions to approve changes in state agency budgets.
