Lawmakers select 19 to help with tax study

A panel of eight lawmakers Monday selected a committee of 19 including former Assembly Speaker Joe Dini to develop recommendations on improving the state's tax and revenue system.

They were recommended to staff five different subcommittees of the so-called visioning process focusing on Commerce and Industry, education, health and human services, infrastructure and public safety. Of the 19, 12 are from southern Nevada.

"This is the group of people who are supposed to sit down and start looking long term," said Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, after the meeting. "In other words, longer than every two years."

The tax study created by lawmakers in the 2009 session is supposed to develop recommendations for changes which will bring more stability to Nevada's tax system. The idea was pushed by Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, because of the dramatic impact on state revenues caused by economic swings both in the state and nationally.

Lawmakers have already selected Moody's Analytics of Pennsylvania as the consultant to develop data and potential recommendations for the study. The company, which bid $253,000 for the contract, was the top choice of all eight lawmakers on the panel charged with picking the best of eight bidders.

The Visioning subcommittees and their members are:

• Commerce and Industry: Joe Dini, Keith Smith of Boyd Gaming Las Vegas, Alan Feldman of MGM Mirage Las Vegas, Boyd Martin of the Associated General Contractors Las Vegas, Don Snyder of Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas and Doug Dirks of Employers Holdings in Reno.

• Education: Former Washoe Schools superintendent Paul Dugan, Rene Cantu of the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce, Marsha Irvin of the Andre Agassi Academy in Las Vegas and Zephyr Cove's Brian Rippett of the Nevada State Education Association.

• Health and Human Services: Peter Bernhard of Cleveland Clinic Nevada in Las Vegas, Sylvia Young of Sunrise Health in Las Vegas, Susan Rhodes of the National Association of Social Workers in Las Vegas and Denise Tanata Ashby of UNLV's Institute for Children's Research and Policy.

• Infrastructure: Thomas Perrigo of the City of Las Vegas, Robert Potter of Carson City representing the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees and Terry Reynolds of Reynolds Company in Sparks.

• Public Safety: Washoe County Manager Katy Simon and Cedric Williams of the North Las Vegas Fire Department.

The full Interim Finance Committee must approve the choices to finalize them.