Clark County Community Services outlines $70 million annual budget, audits and 2026 priorities

Vanessa Gaston, Clark County Community Services director, told the Community Action Advisory Board on Jan. 30 that the department’s annual budget is about $70,000,000 and that roughly 85% of its funds are contracted to community providers.

Gaston said the department has about 35 staff and is “a small and mighty department” that is subject to multiple state and federal audits. She described three near‑term priorities for 2026: standardizing technical assistance for providers so they can meet complex contracting and auditing requirements; improving cross‑system coordination so people with intersecting needs do not fall through service gaps; and preparing staff and contracts for changes driven by federal, state and county policy shifts.

The director flagged workforce turnover as a practical challenge: roughly 37% of department staff are new and about 42% identify as people of color, LGBTQ+ or disabled, she said. Gaston urged advisory boards to use disaggregated data when advising on grant recommendations so providers can better target outreach and measure outcomes.

Michael Thor, program manager for Community Services’ community action and housing development unit, said that unit oversees roughly $50,000,000 of the department’s funds and that the department continues to implement a five‑year consolidated plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership funds.

On audits, staff explained that state and federal auditors (government auditors) trigger monitoring; the department supports those audits internally and does not directly contract outside auditors for the state reviews. Councilor Glenn Young praised the department’s work, saying the audits “always come out squeaky clean.”

Gaston and staff also invited future presentations from behavioral‑health and jail‑reentry teams on a planned short‑term transitional housing “landing pad” for people exiting custody who are unhoused and have behavioral‑health needs; that program is in planning with a nonprofit partner.

The board asked how it can help. Gaston asked members and advisory boards to focus on reviewing program data, questioning who providers are serving and which strategies improve outcomes, and advising staff on outreach and contract language where warranted.

The board will continue strategic‑plan work and follow up on presentations; the next CAB meeting is scheduled for March 23.