Supervisors to finalize tax increase

“Routine” doesn’t quite cover the Carson City Board of Supervisors action coming Thursday, but surprise isn’t expected despite a tax increase ordinance on the agenda.

The board, which begins meeting at 8:30 a.m. that day in the Sierra Room at the Community Center, is set at some point in the morning to adopt by a 4-1 final tally the ordinance increasing the consolidated city-county sales tax by one-eighth of a penny. It will cost consumers $12.50 per $10,000 in taxable goods purchased and help finance multiple capital projects. It cleared the first hurdle by that vote Feb. 20.

The 4-1 tally is needed for a supermajority. None of the supporters is expected to bolt and jeopardize a plan that envisions building a multi-purpose athletic center and an animal shelter and enhancing street-scape in four business corridors north, south, east and downtown.

Also on the agenda are the next steps toward bonding for sewer plant and water infrastructure upgrades. Utility rates were previously hiked to underpin the indebtedness, making passage virtually automatic.

That’s not to say, however, discussion won’t develop. For example, some citizens fearing the rates or bonding might be used to buy Empire Ranch Golf Course land out of a bankruptcy have been vocal in opposing that. City government is getting the land appraised. Some officials are concerned about losing the land as an option for disposing of treated wastewater effluent.

Also on the agenda is an item to accept a low bid for near $90,000 to build a Fuji Park and Fairgrounds Arena picnic shelter project. Fuji Park and Fairgrounds are undergoing upgrades in part to prepare for the Nevada Sesquicentennial Fair this summer and in part for future event opportunities there.