TRE district opposing county takeover

While the roads are bad, the district that maintains them in  is opposing any effort to take over or dissolve their local government.

Topaz Ranch Estates General Improvement District Chairwoman Sharon Becker, who was appointed in October, acknowledged that on Tuesday.

“The storm really tore the roads up,” she said. “But we do have a plan to fix the potholes and make the roads drivable.”

Counter to previous statements, the district has $1.3 million in reserves that it hasn’t touched since 2018.

According to a letter from district counsel Frank Flaherty some of the assertions made back in September when the district board sent a letter asking commissioners to take action turned out to be inaccurate.

For one thing, the board heard from the Nevada Department of Taxation that its reports to the state were considered timely and that no corrective action was required.

“Since the Sept. 14 letter, there has been substantial change in the composition of the board and the board engaged a contract business manager to more closely examine the district’s books,” Flaherty wrote. “Contrary to the representations in the Sept. 14 letter, the district is not in dire financial straits. The district has not utilized reserve funds for over five years, and in fact, it has increased reserve funding in most recent years.”

According to the letter, the district plans to spend up to $100,000 a mile for three miles of roads identified as projects for FEMA funding.

“As the county undoubtedly realizes, obtaining FEMA funding can be a long process,” Flaherty said. “However, the district has sufficient reserves in investments to pay for repairs and wait for FEMA reimbursement without impairing the district’s operational cash flow.”

Becker said as soon as the weather warms up the district plans to start work on the roads.

In addition to the three mile stretch of road that FEMA will reimburse the district for, the district proposes spending $100,000 a year to repair another 10 miles of road over the next four years.

That five-year plan was discussed Wednesday by district trustees.

Becker said the board opposes a takeover or receivership by the county, which was among the four actions commissioners could take at a Monday meeting on the issue.

At an October hearing, county commissioners took no action on the district board’s September letter after hearing from the TRE board that they could handle their work.

During that hearing, the commissioners said they were happy to let the district deal with its road issues. Subsequent to that meeting, district trustee Dave Akola and residents circulated a petition that would require the county to consider taking over the district that was determined to be valid.

That left county commissioners no choice but to call Monday’s meeting. One of the four actions available to commissioners is to do nothing, which Becker said was her preferred option.

Commissioners are scheduled to meet 10 a.m. Monday at the Douglas County Courthouse in Minden.

Topaz Ranch Estates is one of a score of districts in Douglas County with an elected board and taxing authority.

Becker and Jeffrey Burgess filed for election to the district board as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. There are two seats up for election on the board.