Supervisors pave way for road funding ballot questions in November

Carson City voters will get to decide the fate of two tax proposals designed to raise money for local roads.

Thursday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved one ballot question for a 0.25 percent sales tax and one ballot question for a supplemental government services tax collected at the DMV (1 cent of $1 for up to 35 percent of vehicle value).

Together, the measures are estimated to raise $6.5 million to $7 million annually for local roads. The city has previously said it is facing a $21 million deficit to maintain the current road network.

Supervisors stressed the funds would be put in separate accounts, administered by the Regional Transportation Commission and used to reconstruct, maintain and repair local roads only, which, according to Carson City Public Works, make up approximately 70 percent of the city’s roadway network.

In making the motion for approval, Supervisor Stacey Giomi added the following to proposed ballot language: “shall be administered by the RTC” instead of “may;” “reconstruction” instead of “construction” thus stressing funding would be for existing roadway; and “required” instead of “associated” for repairs like curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

Supervisor Maurice White argued the funding should go to pavement only, but other supervisors countered that curb, gutter and sidewalk repairs and striping for reconstructed road were all part of the scope of local road work. Not part of the scope of the ballot measures were tasks like snowplowing and street sweeping.

“I understand the desire to pave only — only asphalt,” said Supervisor Curtis Horton. “To some degree I feel the same way, but I happen to know through my experience that it’s really not practical to do that. There are areas that you’re going to work in that are going to need curb and gutter repairs and sidewalk repairs and ramps that are required. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to go down that street and replace every inch of concrete on that street. You’re going to replace what’s required within the project to maintain your drainage or federal requirements for ADA.”

Only a handful of people spoke during public comment. After concerns from Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ronni Hannaman, Mayor Lori Bagwell said the city’s car dealerships relayed they were OK with the sales tax proposal knowing the city’s rate would still be lower than Washoe County’s.

“They thought it was going to be greater or equal to the Washoe County sales tax rate, which would mean they would have to change all their advertising, all of their things,” said Bagwell. “When they realized that we were not going to match the Washoe County rate, then their concern was alleviated.”

Carson’s sales tax rate is currently 7.6 percent. Washoe County’s sales tax rate is 8.265 percent, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

After the vote on the ballot questions, supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Bob Bartshe, Charles Macquarie and Glenn Conant to the committee developing arguments for the sales tax measure; to appoint Macquarie and Conant to the committee developing arguments for the government services tax; and to appoint Dan Mooney to the committees developing arguments against both measures.

Giomi wanted those writing the arguments to have conviction.

“I think we owe it to our community to present those ballot questions in a way that the people who are arguing for or against are passionate about the position they have,” he said.

Carson City Manager Chris Martinovich said city staff was developing a prioritization process for the possible sales tax and GST funding, a method that would use the city’s Pavement Management Plan but for local roads, not just regional collector and arterial roads. That methodology for prioritization will appear at the June 12 RTC meeting, he said.