Hearing on new courthouse Thursday

A required public hearing is Thursday on $37 million in financing for a new courthouse.

The debt would be paid off from 15 percent of the annual consolidated tax receipts, which are mostly funded by sales tax generated in the county.

The county has been looking for a means to build a new courthouse for the better part of a decade. The two district courts and one justice court are currently housed in the 42-year-old Judicial & Law Enforcement Center. There is an additional justice court located at the Stateline Administrative Center.

In addition to the $37 million in bonds, the county plans to issue $14 million in medium term obligations to be paid from the county’s capital projects fund at a rate of $1.77 million a year for the next decade.

The total obligation for the future justice center would be $51 million.

A third of the 90-day period has passed during which someone could gather signatures from 5 percent of registered voters from the last election to require the bond be placed on the ballot.

If no petition is received by the county by March 26, the county will be authorized to start selling bonds.

Bond consultant Marty Johnson said the bonding to build the center can’t result in a property tax rate increase, as the county is already at the state-mandated cap of $3.64 per $100 assessed valuation. Nevada assesses property tax based on value, which means an individual owner’s actual property tax bill can increase if their property increases in value.

Design work on a new judicial center could be done by next spring. The county purchased property north of Buckeye Road near where the Minden Maintenance Yard is located. The new center will also be very near the intersection of Buckeye Road and the future Muller Lane Parkway.

Under the plan, the Sheriff’s Office would take over the portions of the judicial center occupied by the courts and their clerks.