Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell to give State of the City address Wednesday

Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell plans to talk about the city’s financial outlook during his annual State of the City address on Wednesday.

“The state of the city, in my view, is quite healthy,” said Crowell.

The city ended 2017 with 4.9 percent unemployment and is expected to have an ending fund balance of 8.3 percent, about four months of operating reserves on hand, which is the city’s financial goal.

Because of rising sales tax revenue, Carson City coffers could end up well above 8.3 percent in reserves, and what to do with that additional revenue will be a topic at the Board of Supervisors annual retreat Feb. 5.

“There’s plenty of unmet needs in the city. Deferred maintenance, not to mention roads,” said Crowell.

More good news, said the mayor, is revitalization in the center of town.

“We’re starting to see downtown blossom, faster than I expected,” he said.

Crowell is starting his presentation with a video of interviews with city staff talking about what their departments are doing as well as comments from the city’s other supervisors.

Crowell is delivering his speech at the monthly Carson City Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Gold Dust West. The event is sold out, but is being recorded and can be viewed at the city’s web site — carson.org — starting later that day.

Crowell’s presentation may go longer than the Board of Supervisors meeting the following day.

The agenda is short and includes items on an interlocal agreement between Carson City and Lyon County to provide mutual delivery of water resources to each utility, and a temporary easement on city property to allow Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors Inc., to construct drainage improvements at its office on Curry Street.

Last year, during winter floods, Nevada Street storm drains were maxed out and water flooded the association’s parking lot.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the Sierra Room, Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.