Today, Gov. Steve Sisolak sent a letter to State of Nevada Directors, Executive Directors, and Administrators informing them that he has directed the Governor’s Finance Office to begin working with executive branch agencies to begin identifying potential areas for reductions in their budgets that reflect the new, unimaginable reality created by the COVID-19 public health crisis.
“With the near total shutdown of businesses during the COVID-19 response, including the gaming industry that makes up the lifeblood of our State’s economy, it is inevitable that this unexpected drop in revenue will force the State of Nevada to make tough budget choices in order to continue protecting the health and safety of our citizens,” Gov. Sisolak said. “Not unlike every other Nevadan or small business impacted by this economic reality, the State needs to begin the process of looking at its own budget and making hard, thoughtful decisions. Nevadans have overcome many obstacles in recent years, and I am confident we can all make it through this together and lead our economy and our State back from these challenging times.”
The governor stressed in his letter that any future budget reductions will prioritize state resources needed to protect the health and safety of Nevada’s citizens and those on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. The state will approach this review of the budget with an eye towards conserving resources, not an arbitrary across-the-board cut that would do a disservice to all Nevadans.
