Werner bringing tax hit to board

The Board of Supervisors will vote Thursday to put the proposed sales tax hike to pay for library portion of the City Center project before voters.

The quarter-cent sales tax increase is listed as "an advisory question" because, under state law, it can't be binding, City Manager Larry Werner said. If the question was binding, then the tax increase would have to be imposed if a majority of voters backed it, even if it wasn't necessary.

Werner said making it advisory question gives the board the option of not imposing the tax if they find another way of paying for the project.

If approved, the tax is expected to generate about $1.9 million a year.

The ballot issue will be taken up at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The nearly $50 million downtown Knowledge + Discovery Center and plaza project is now proposed without a parking garage. Carson Nugget President Steve Neighbors said during the May 17 Board of Supervisors meeting that he will offer the city $5 million from the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation to build a parking garage.

That ballot question is separate from an initiative petition asking voters to block the city from participating in the project.

The petition being circulated around town asks that no public funding be used for the City Center Project without a vote of the people.

Werner said since it appears the petition has enough signatures to get on the ballot, he will recommend the board adopt an ordinance containing the language in the petition.

In that case, the petition doesn't go on the ballot, which Werner said eliminates the confusion of having both questions on the ballot.

Also on Thursday, the board will vote on whether to accept - cost free - land left over from the bypass construction. The Nevada Department of Transportation has offered the 11-acre parcel along Imus Road in north Carson City. Werner said the city doesn't have the money to develop the land at this time.

"It may be a long time," he said.

But Werner said the land is in an area that, under the city master plan, would be a good place for a new park.

Supervisors will also be asked to authorize Mayor Bob Crowell to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Douglas and Washoe counties to develop the "Stateline to Stateline Bikeway" in the Tahoe Basin. The new memorandum replaces the one approved in May 2004 following voter approval of a ballot question providing $5 million to develop a Lake Tahoe Path System.

Sheriff Ken Furlong also will ask the board to authorize acceptance of the 2012 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant that funds Carson's Cops and Kids Community Prevention Program. The total award is $15,047.

A series of items that would implement the amended collective bargaining agreement with Carson firefighters and other city employees, however, was pulled from the agenda because the mandatory public hearing wasn't included in the agenda. Those contracts and issues will be taken up at the next board meeting.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors meets at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St. Go to www.carson.org to download an agenda and complete information packet.

Other meetings this week:

• The Carson City Charter Review Committee meets at 2:30 p.m. today in the Sierra Room of the community center.