Supervisors consider Legislature, road funding

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will hear their first update on the Nevada Legislature at their regular board meeting, which starts at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the community center.

The 82^nd Nevada legislative session began Feb. 6.

“This is for the Board of Supervisors to coordinate legislative efforts on pending state legislation that may have an impact on Carson City, including the adoption of official policy positions, if any, and direction to staff to advocate for or against any such legislation,” says a new page on the city website tracking legislation. “Due to unpredictable timing constraints inherent in the legislative process, the city will maintain and keep current as much as possible a list of legislation that the city has identified in advance and which may be discussed and acted on by the board during an agenda item.”

The new page can be accessed at https://www.carson.org/government/departments-a-f/city-manager-s-office/82nd-legislative-session.

While several bills could affect city operations, one specific to the city is Senate Bill 16, which would update the city’s charter.

The updated charter would enable the mayor pro tempore to assume the office of mayor for the unexpired term if the office becomes vacant. The change follows the 2020 death of former Mayor Robert Crowell, who died while still in office. The current mayor pro tempore is Supervisor Stacey Giomi. In the event the mayor pro tempore is needed, the charter update says the resulting vacancy in the Board of Supervisors must be filled following an existing section of the charter.

“A vacancy in the office of supervisor must be filled by appointment by a majority of the members of the board within 30 days after the occurrence of the vacancy or after three regular or special meetings, whichever is the shorter period of time,” says the charter.

It also says such an appointment will not extend beyond the first Monday in January following the next general election in which a replacement is elected.

The charter update deals with realignment of supervisor ward boundaries as well. It states wards should be realigned whenever “reliable evidence” indicates the population of a ward exceeds the population of any other ward by more than 5 percent or as determined by the U.S. Census. It prohibits realignment during general election years from 30 days before candidate filing opens to the election date unless circumstances make it “impossible or impracticable” to do so, in which case realignment can take place up to the first day of filing.

In other action:

• Supervisors will consider new revenue sources to bridge an estimated $21 million funding gap in neighborhood road maintenance.

Neighborhood roads make up more than 70 percent of city roadway but don’t qualify for the same federal funding as regional roads.

“Carson City’s neighborhood streets are currently in fair condition, with a Pavement Condition Index score of 56 out of a possible 100,” says a staff report. “If additional funding is not allocated towards Carson City’s paved roadway assets, pavement conditions of neighborhood streets are projected to be in very poor condition, with a network average PCI score of 36, by 2030.”

A report about local roads was developed with Hansford Economic Consulting and submitted to the Regional Transportation Commission last November. Thursday, supervisors will mull over the report’s findings. It states homeowners paying $50 a month could significantly bridge the road-funding gap. It explores new funding mechanisms such as a new quarter-cent sales tax, the continuance of the one-eighth-cent V&T infrastructure sales tax, scheduled to sunset in 2027, and general improvement districts with special assessments on properties.

The GID option is estimated to generate the most revenue: $12.2 million a year. That compares to an estimated $4 million a year for the new sales tax and an estimated $1 million from continuing the V&T tax.
• Supervisors will confirm the property tax rate as staff prepares the budget for the next fiscal year.

The city must inform the state of its rate by Feb. 21, according to a staff report. Finance staff is recommending the rate stay at $3.57 per $100 of assessed value. Staff is also projecting an increase in general fund property tax revenue for the next fiscal year, up nearly $1.4 million from the current year, or 4.5 percent.