Carson City property tax rate to stay same

The Board of Supervisors voted to maintain Carson City’s current property tax rate and discussed ways to spend additional revenue expected in the coming fiscal year.

The city needs to submit its property tax rate to the Department of Taxation by Feb. 22 so the board at its meeting on Thursday voted to keep the current rate of $3.57 per $100 of assessed value.

At the same time, the board heard a presentation from Jason Link, chief financial officer, on basic revenue assumptions in preparation for going over and approving the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget.

Link said property tax is projected to reach $24.7 million and the consolidated tax is expected to bring in $30.8 million in 2019.

That would allow the city to keep reserves of 11.87 percent of the general fund balance and spend an additional $3 million on capital and $500,000 on operations, which could be used to supplement department budgets.

“I want to consider adding an attorney to the District Attorney’s Office,” said Supervisor Lori Bagwell. “We’ve been sending them a lot of workload and expecting a lot from them.”

Supervisor Karen Abowd said she would like to bump up Cooperative Extension’s funding, which has long been stagnant.

Supervisor John Barrette brought up the issue of roads and the board agreed bigger solutions for funding were required to raise the money needed to fully maintain the city’s streets.

Supervisor Brad Bonkowski said he expects to see some proposals on that from the Regional Transportation Commission in the next few months and Mayor Bob Crowell talked about the possibility of earmarking for road work a portion of the sales tax generated by the new Nissan car dealership and possibly other auto dealers in town.

“One quick point,” said Nick Marano, city manager. “I know the board is well aware of it, that it is a structural problem and any long-term solution will require legislative action at state legislature.”

The board also heard on first reading an ordinance to allow tattoo parlors as a conditional use in retail commercial zones, meaning those businesses can establish in retail areas with a special use permit.

The issue came up recently when a business owner petitioned to change the code, which currently only allows parlors in the light industrial zone.

The commission voted to recommend to the board that the parlors be allowed as a permitted use in retail areas without any special permits, but the board asked the commission to reconsider. The commission last month looked at it again and decided to stick with its original recommendation.

If the ordinance passes on second reading, tattoo parlors will be allowed with a special use permit along Highway 50 East and in north and south Carson Street, but not downtown, which is in a unique zone called downtown mixed use commercial.

The supervisors also heard on first reading an ordinance changing the way the Planning Commission is put together.

Currently, all seven members are at-large members who apply to be on the commission. They’re interviewed by the board, which votes to appoint members.

With the new ordinance, there will continue to be two at-large members who apply and are chosen by the board, and five members who are each nominated by a supervisor and voted on by the entire board.

If approved, the process will be rolled out as the current members’ terms expire and supervisors are elected.

The board voted to authorize the mayor to sign an interlocal water agreement with Lyon County. The agreement allows the two jurisdictions to exchange water. The agreement was on the last meeting agenda but action was postponed in order to add language clarifying any leasing of water rights between the two parties was temporary and not to be used to support one area’s growth.

Two items were pulled from the agenda, both on business impact statements concerning costs to restaurants associated with proposed changes to the health code.

The board interviewed two candidates and appointed Sherri Powell to a spot on the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee.