Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Feb. 9, 2011, Reno Gazette-Journal.

The “Great Recession” has forced governments throughout the country, from the federal government to counties, cities and towns, to seriously rethink the way they do things.

Because of declining revenues, they’re asking important questions: Is this something we should be doing? Are we doing it in the most cost-effective and efficient manner? Can we restructure our operations to streamline them and make them more flexible?

The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority is among the agencies that has been going through that process. With the industries that it was established to serve, gaming and tourism, in the doldrums and another search about to begin for a new CEO, however, the time is right for a broader look at the authority’s structure.

It’s time to ask whether the hybrid public-private governance model of the RSCVA is still the best way to boost the numbers of business and leisure visitors to the Reno-Sparks area and North Lake Tahoe.

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