Speaking for Nevada - March 2007

Improving the Way Government Does Business

What plans does the Governor’s office have to help businesses in Nevada?

by Jim Gibbons

Business is the backbone of Nevada’s economy, and nurturing business is one of my top priorities as governor. In my State of the State address, I told the Legislature: “I believe it is my job to foster a business climate that encourages investment in our state, and to have government help when necessary, and get out of the way when possible.”

I have appointed Mendy Elliott to head the Department of Business and Industry. She has 24 years of experience in the financial services industry, most notably as senior vice president of Wells Fargo’s Nevada Community and Government Relations Department. Director Elliott and I are working together to open the lines of communication between the state’s government and the business community. We’re giving businesspeople better access to regulators who are more responsive. You can look forward to doing business with state agencies that are faster and more user-friendly.

As stated during my campaign, and emphasized throughout my State of the State address, I will not support higher taxes or new fees. In fact, I’m seeking a 4.6 percent decrease in the modified business tax, from 0.65 to 0.62 percent. That will bring $28 million in tax relief to more than 55,000 Nevada businesses. I’m also proposing to eliminate the excise tax for branch banks.

My executive budget includes $10 million in unclaimed property receipts to create a dynamic new economic development program and will be modeled after Georgia’s highly successful program. I’ll be working with Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki to use this new development tool to bring world-class researchers to Nevada, and provide high-end jobs for Nevadans.

Nevada has enjoyed an unemployment rate below the national average for the past five years. The state has led the country in job growth for 12 of the past 18 years. We’re expected to add nearly 65,000 new jobs this year alone. Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is working to improve the accountability and performance of Nevada’s Workforce Investment System. More importantly, we will better prepare Nevada for business by preparing Nevadans for business. Companies need a skilled, educated workforce. My administration will explore public-private partnerships that will allow you to give more input to our educators and offer greater opportunities to help prepare our students for your employment and the needs of other businesses for years to come.

My cabinet, transition teams, staff and I meet regularly to discuss how we can improve the way government does business. We have compiled an ambitious itinerary with immediate and long-term goals that will create a solid foundation upon which to build a less intrusive state government.

We are working to foster economic diversification across the state in both rural and urban communities. Furthermore, we’re addressing other needs of the state that impact the business community and the highway infrastructure, which we plan to address with innovative funding approaches. Private/public partnerships will be employed in various areas of my administration to lower the taxpayers’ burden and give business more input to important state functions.

Desert Research Institute will be conducting a statewide water inventory, and we will develop the first comprehensive water plan for Nevada since the 1960s – something sorely needed to allow responsible growth. The potential threat of terrorism will be addressed with the most aggressive and proactive strategy in Nevada’s history.

We’re making improvements, but we need your help. You know what you need and we’re eager to incorporate your best suggestions into our plans. Please e-mail Business and Industry Director Mendy Elliott with your suggestions at director@dbi.state.nv.us. Together, we’ll make Nevada an even better magnet for attracting new companies and an even more fertile environment for existing businesses.