Carson City Public Works pie chart showing current funding sources for road maintenance.
After hosting two public workshops in October, Carson City transportation staff will give a presentation on Wednesday regarding new proposals for road funding, specifically a city-wide general improvement district (GID) with special assessments on properties.
The meeting for the Regional Transportation Commission starts at 4:30 p.m. in the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.
Staff will present a new report from Hansford Economic Consulting on GIDs and survey results and feedback from the public workshops.
The city has been exploring new funding options to offset an estimated $21 million annual gap between current revenues and needed street maintenance. Most at-risk of deterioration are neighborhood streets that make up the majority of the city’s road network but do not qualify for federal grant funding like regional collectors and arterial roads.
“While the condition of the regional roads has improved slightly over the past few years, the condition of Carson City’s local, neighborhood roads is declining at a rapid rate,” reads a staff report for the meeting. “As of 2023, Carson City’s neighborhood streets have a pavement condition classification of ‘poor,’ with a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score of 49 out of a possible 100. If additional funding is not allocated towards Carson City’s paved roadway assets, the pavement condition of neighborhood streets is projected to be classified as ‘very poor,’ with a network average PCI score of 36, by 2030.
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Survey results provided by Hansford Economic Consulting on how much residents would be willing to pay monthly for a road-funding GID.
“Current annual funding for roadway construction and maintenance projects is approximately $4.5 million. As noted in the Carson City Pavement Condition Analysis Final Report dated August 2022, annual funding in the amount of $25.5 million is estimated to be needed to maintain the overall roadway network in its current condition.”
Hansford was hired by the city in 2021 to explore road funding sources. In a report presented to the RTC last year, Hansford estimated a GID, a legal entity that would be overseen by the Carson City Board of Supervisors, could raise more than $12 million annually for road maintenance. Another idea included in the report was a new .25 percent sales tax that could generate an estimated $4 million. Re-using the .125 percent V&T infrastructure tax, a current sales tax scheduled to sunset in 2027, could add another $1 million.
In February, during a hearing on road funding sources, the Board of Supervisors generally supported a new .25 percent sales tax for the 2024 ballot but wanted more information on GIDs.
“Following direction from the board to further investigate the GID mechanism, RTC and consultant staff began a more detailed look at GID assessment methodologies, collection methods and how GIDs are used in other jurisdictions,” according to the staff report. “In addition, staff were directed to conduct public outreach and gather public comments on the GID concept and the overall need to improve Carson City’s pavement condition.”
Documents for Wednesday’s meeting show that out of 33 respondents to a recent survey on GIDs, 11 said they don’t want to pay anything, nine said they would pay $1-$10 monthly for GID special assessments, and 10 respondents said they’d pay $11-$20 monthly. Only three respondents indicated they would be willing to pay above $20 monthly. Hansford has recommended any special assessments be included in monthly utility bills.
According to a summary prepared by the city, comments received during the public workshop varied. Some residents were supportive of a GID for reasons of accountability and transparency, as well as getting EV users to contribute to local roads, while others were opposed to creating “another governing body.” According to the city, the three most popular ways to determine special assessments were vehicle trip generation, front footage of a parcel to the roadway and a flat parcel charge.
“Additional funding would allow Carson City to be proactive in addressing roadway needs utilizing the established pavement management process,” reads the staff report. “Through new funding mechanisms, staff can devote new resources to repairing and replacing serious or failed roadways in Carson City. Being proactive would extend the lifecycle of roadway assets and reduce long-term costs associated with neglected infrastructure.”
The 2022 Carson City Pavement Condition Analysis Final Report, prepared by Applied Pavement Technology, can be found online: https://www.carson.org/home/showpublisheddocument/81997/637997890040900000.
Nevada law on GIDs can be found online as well: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-318.html.