Petitioners seek sales tax hike on ballot

A group of voters has filed an affidavit to collect signatures to place the Carson City Center project on the 2012 ballot.

The effort, initiated by Day Williams, a candidate for Carson City supervisor, is intended to send a message to the board of supervisors.

"We want the people to have a voice in this," Williams said Tuesday.

At the Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday, Supervisor Pete Livermore is scheduled to request an action requiring that any use of the city's available 1⁄8-cent sales tax would be subject to an advisory vote of the people.

"If that passes, this all becomes moot," Williams said, "but we wouldn't have had time to get it on the 2010 ballot."

Williams said the petition for this year would have to be filed by June 25, or 120 days prior to the general election.

"We would need 3,980 signatures, or 15 percent of the voters in the last general election, and about 1,000 more as a cushion," he said.

"It would have been impractical to try for this election, but I would hope the board of supervisors would realize there is a great deal of interest in this project, and that it is still good to get the pulse of the people," Williams said.

"The board does have a right to pass the 1⁄8-cent, but this does tap us out. We need to be careful with municipal spending," he said.

Livermore said he has been asking since November that the Carson City Center Project be put before the voters, and now that a 1⁄8-cent sales tax is being considered, the voice of the voters is even more important.

"The board has yet to take this idea seriously. My simple action (on Thursday's agenda) will allow me to bring back a formal proposal."

Livermore, a Republican, is running for Nevada State Assembly against Supervisor Robin Williamson, a Democrat.