Health district bill criticized

A state senator Monday criticized the taxes in a bill that would let Carson City create a regional health district with three surrounding counties.

Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, told bill supporters at the bill's first legislative hearing that the bill was a "voluminous request for taxes."

The bill might have to go to the Senate Taxation Committee if it gets out of his committee on heath and education, he said.

Washington said he liked the idea of a regional health district, but the bill needed more work.

The proposed district would manage all public health services not covered by the state in Carson City and Douglas, Storey and Lyon counties. Any resident could use any of the services in any of the counties.

"The power and the authority this health district would consume is a huge pill to swallow," Washington said.

Carson City supervisors approved the bill in February. It would give the regional health district the power to raise sales taxes a quarter of a cent and property taxes 15 cents for every $100 of assessed value. Taxes would be raised evenly in all counties in the health district.

The bill would allow any one or more counties to form a regional board to govern public health.

Mary Walker, a lobbyist for Carson City, said an amendment to the bill wouldn't allow taxes to go up more than 1 percent each year.

Bill supporters never wanted to immediately raise taxes to their highest level possible, she said.

"What we're looking at is small moderate steps," she said.

The district might not have to raise any taxes at all, said Mayor Bob Crowell.

The district would get the funding for state services whenever it took over those services, he said. That could be enough to support the district, he said.

Both the district and the state would have to agree on what services the district would take over.

Nancy McDermid, head of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, said bill supporters have already gone a long way by introducing an idea that includes taxes and regional cooperation.

"I'm going to mention two 'T' words," she said. "One is tax. The other is turf."