Carson City supervisor candidates agree on police funding at debate

Candidates for Carson City Ward 2 supervisor faced off in a debate Monday three weeks before the general election.

Maurice White and Stacie Wilke-McCulloch discussed growth management, mental health services, the South Carson Street project and more during the event at the Brewery Arts Center and broadcast live on NGBN-TV and online.

“I think the project is illogical,” said White referring to the South Carson Street project, which he said is narrowing the street as population grows. “We need to make those decisions locally for Carson City and not by some complete streets manual being mandated to us.”

Both candidates praised the city’s streets maintenance plan, which divides the city into five districts with work focused in a single area every year, but had differing ideas on how to raise more funds for underfunded repairs.

“We work with a lot of grants in the schools and they come with a lot of strings,” said Wilke-McCulloch after White suggested grants were an avenue to explore for road maintenance.

Wilke-McCulloch said the new tax on diesel fuel would help and suggested citizens should work to get an increase on the gas tax back on the ballot.

White followed up saying he knew the mileage tax study being conducted by the state is controversial, but there needs to be a way to tax the increasing numbers of hybrid and electric cars that pay little or no gas tax.

Both candidates were committed to fully funding police and to increase funding if possible of the Sheriff’s Office Mobile Outreach Safety Team, or MOST, and the Forensic Assessment Services Triage Team, or FASTT, units, which help the city serve individuals with mental health issues.

And both candidates thought the Board of Supervisors had done a good job of managing growth.

“We’re already capping growth by having only 600 building permits a year,” said Wilke-McCulloch when they were asked if the city should put a limit on growth.

White agreed, saying new development brings in higher property tax dollars.

“Look at Schulz Ranch, property tax is somewhere north of $4,000 per home there,” he said. “If you’re not growing you’re dying.”

The event Monday, which also included a debate between school board candidates Joe Cacioppo and Joy Trushenski, was sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Northern Nevada in partnership with Sierra Nevada Forums and AAUW Capital Branch.

To learn more about the candidates, go here

Click below to see the full forum: