On Thursday Douglas County's leaders will once more take up the issue of growth control. This will be the fifth hearing on a growth control ordinance, which if approved, will take effect on July 1.
Events seem to conspire against the most recent effort, with at least two studies implying the county's present budget woes are the result in a slow down in home construction.
When housing construction starts to pick up again, as it will, then according to the studies, the county's budget will improve as well.
We've seen what controlled housing growth can do in Carson City, but we've never had the opportunity to try it ourselves.
A lot of folks have worked very hard to bring us to what may be a conclusion on Thursday, and we appreciate all their hard work.
Realtors, builders, and other business people have worked with residents who favor slower growth rates and county officials to come up with a compromise.
The alternative is for those involved in the four-year-old lawsuit over implementation of the Sustainable Growth Initiative to go back to court and we can start the issue all over again.
We believe that a reasonable growth rate should show a reasonable rate of return for everyone.
Perhaps Thursday will be a step toward establishing a place where people can live, play and work in the setting we've all come to love.
