Carson City Board of Supervisors drop property tax rate two cents

Carson City’s property tax rate will drop two cents and another two cents worth of expected revenues from it will handle maintenance, the Board of Supervisors signalled Thursday.

The decision to cut property tax from $3.54 to $3.52 per $100 of assessed value, tentative but probable barring gyrations in expected tax receipts overall, was taken by the board during discussions of assumptions Finance Director Nick Providenti and other city staff should use in crafting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 city spending guide.

Providenti said a drop of two cents would reduce property tax revenue about $100,000.

But before the board vote he also provided it the alternative of raising it so it knew its options. He said because the tax rate was lowered two cents last year, there was some upside left in taxing authority.

“We could hike 12 cents at the maximum,” he said. No board member stepped up to advocate an increase and Supervisor Brad Bonkowski pushed for the decrease. Supervisor Lori Bagwell contended two cents in revenues, or $100,000, could be used for extraordinary maintenance or capital improvements as she cited the city’s backlog of needs due to the recession.

In the end, the pair worked out the dual approach of a two cents decrease and a two cents earmark for unmet needs both advocated, which the whole board approved. Mayor Robert Crowell reminded everyone budget deliberation changes could intervene, prompting Providenti to agree.

But the preliminary step is likely to hold up given an upward trend in overall tax take with robust city sales tax receipts.

In other action, the board:

Heard from new Fire Chief Robert Schreihans during introductory remarks in which he thanked City Manager Nick Marano for selecting him to replace the retired Stacey Giomi; learned from Timothy Morrissey, the Carson Nugget’s new liquor manager, the Nugget’s new wine and coffee bar should open “right after Valentine’s Day,” and approved a $200,000 contract with Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, Inc., to upgrade the jail lock system.

The board also:

Adopted an ordinance authorizing a zoning change from tourist commercial to general industrial for about four acres at 1588 Old Hot Springs Road; adopted another ordinance to allow the building division to approve second permit extensions, changing from the current single 18 month extension, and authorized introduction of an ordinance for later approval that revises driving under the influence language.

After the regular meeting in the morning, the board recessed for a workshop with top city staff at the Eagle Valley Golf Course clubhouse.