CARSON PERSPECTIVE: What does Carson’s financial future hold?

Carson City provides an opportunity to recall the opening to Charles Dickens’ classic “A Tale of Two Cities” right now.“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” goes the opening that everyone seems to know. But that’s not all. Dickens, in his historical novel about London and Paris, went on:“It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way ...”Perhaps this is the winter of our discontent, rather than despair, but Supervisor Brad Bonkowski sees spring on the horizon. He cites revival of construction. “So I see it improving,” he said during a recent wide-ranging discussion regarding economics and the city’s budget.Supervisor John McKenna was more cautious, mentioning Europe’s economic woes and possible fallout that could ripple through the world’s economy and slow a fragile recovery.These represent pertinent upside and downside counsel.Though these aren’t the best of times, signs point to them being the best in five years, Bonkowski indicated. Yet no one can ever know the future, a valid point from McKenna. The main matter they were discussing last week was how to finance required sewer treatment plant upgrades and other needs going forward.Mayor Robert Crowell urged city staffers to consider in the mix a one-eighth-of-one-cent hike in sales tax, not just fee increases.An unfortunate Nevada Appeal glitch turned that into an eight-cent boost, which of course is ridiculous. Such glitches can bedevil communications at times, but the good news is sales tax isn’t doubling.Next Thursday the Board of Supervisors meets again in the Community Center’s Sierra Room beginning at 8:30 a.m. Among the agenda items is initial consideration of Ross Park, a 23-unit subdivision. The Ross Park Cottages are planned as two-level structures with more than 800 square feet on each level. They would go in the area of Snyder Avenue, California Street and East Appion Way. Also on tap is review and probable acceptance of the Carson City Master Plan annual report. Among other city events next week are a Carson City Airport Authority meeting, also in the Sierra Room, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, and Friday’s city government-backed job fair in the Senior Center from 2-4 p.m.• John Barrette covers Carson City government and business. He can be reached at jbarrette@nevadaappeal.com.