Carson City supervisors to start budget-cutting process

The Board of Supervisors on Thursday will begin looking for ways to cut the next fiscal year’s budget in anticipation of a significant drop in revenue due to the coronavirus crisis.

More than a third of Carson City’s general fund money comes from the consolidated tax, primarily made up of sales tax from city businesses that are now closed due to the public health emergency.

City finance staff is projecting a 7 percent drop in current fiscal year revenue from a budgeted $32.4 million to $30.2 million, and a nearly 13 percent dip in the original projection for fiscal year 2021, from $34 million to $30.2 million.

The board will also take a look at the current year’s capital improvement program to see if some projects can be delayed.

City staff will give updates on city procedure and policies concerning the coronavirus and on actions taken with a $704,628 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deal with the outbreak.

Also related to the coronavirus, the board will consider using $292,846 in additional funds from the County Match/Indigent Accident Fund to expand eligibility requirements for people adversely affected.

In other city business, the supervisors will consider issuing $7.7 million in bonds to refinance existing debt for a savings of $250,000; a resolution for the annual assessment for the downtown neighborhood improvement district, which covers streetscape maintenance downtown; and on first reading an ordinance to put a moratorium on applications for hemp cultivation until the city can determine policy for such businesses.

The board will be meeting in the Sierra Room at the Community Center, but the physical meeting location is not open to the public during the state of emergency issued due to the coronavirus.

To watch the meeting, go online to www.carson.org/granicus and click on “In progress” next to the meeting date, or to cable channel 191.

To provide a comment on any item prior the meeting, email publiccomment@carson.org.

To comment during the meeting’s public comment time, call 1-408-418-9388 and use meeting number 265 266 356. Do not use the phone number if you are not making public comment.

The meeting agenda is available at https://www.carson.org/government/meeting-information/agendas/board-of-supervisors-agendas-with-supporting-materials/2020-agendas-with-supporting-materials/04-16-20-agenda-with-supporting-materials.