Little protest to proposed bonds for improvement, V&T project

Just two people showed up at the Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday to protest plans to issue bonds for major capital improvement projects and the V&T Railway project.

John Wagner, a longtime anti-tax activist, said he especially objected to the portion of the $26 million in capital improvement project bonding designated for economic redevelopment. The plan sets aside $8 million for economic development and the city plans to use $3.5 million of that to help auto dealer Dick Campagni build a new South Carson City dealership in exchange for a guarantee he will stay in the capital city at least 15 years.

He also questioned the need for a new sheriff's administration building, which at $12 million, is the largest project on the capital improvement projects list.

Wagner said the eighth-of-a-cent sales tax increase to pay for construction of the historic V&T Railway would only increase the reasons for people to go to Douglas County to shop for major items and will damage Carson City's economy. He also said it doesn't make sense to put more than $15 million into that project when "they're not even sure who owns the name."

Ron Orbas was more vocal saying "Dick Campagni should have been told to take a hike" and calling the V&T project a "scam from the beginning."

"This board is heading in a direction I moved from California to get away from," he said. "We don't need more recreational areas in the mountains. We don't need more government buildings going up."

He said Carson City is becoming a center for retired older people and that supervisors should be catering more to their needs.

"I think the board is ignoring the demographics of this community," he said.

One person, David Aunkst of Carson City, told the board he supports construction of the sheriff's administration building. He said he worked in the existing building and that it badly needs to be replaced after 40 years.

The public hearings are required as part of the process leading to the issuance of those bonds. Mayor Marv Teixeira and other members of the board made no comment on any of the testimony.

The city plans to enact the sales tax in October and sell the bonds before the end of this year.

- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.