Tax hike nullified; second vote set

In an abundance of caution, city government is planning to require votes again by the Carson City Board of Supervisors on the one-eighth of a cent sales tax hike to finance capital projects.

Interim City Manager Marena Works said Friday the votes will be sought at the April 17 and May 1 meetings to make certain no one challenges the legality of the tax due to an oversight on notification requirements for public hearings, which had to accompany the board’s actions. She was asked if she had any concern the 4-1 vote could change when the matter goes before the board again.

“No,” she said. She said she had informed the five supervisors separately of the gaffe and need for a second set of votes, after Thursday’s board meeting. She said she didn’t bring it up during the meeting because it wasn’t on the agenda, citing Nevada’s open meeting law.

She said the re-votes will be taken on advice of District Neil Attorney Neil Rombardo because of lack of documentation that the notices of public hearings were posted properly two weeks prior to the board meetings of March 6 and 20. She indicated the matters were actually posted a week prior. She said the oversight was caught by city bond counsel after the fact.

The 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Jim Shirk dissenting, met the super majority requirement for the tax hike. It is expected to raise $1 million each year. That revenue will underpin some $17 million in bonds to help building a multi-purpose athletic center, an animal shelter, and allow business corridor street scape improvements on Carson Street downtown, north and south of that city core, as well as on East William Street.