sales tax

Carson City Supervisor Brad Bonkowski provides an update of the May 1 Board of Supervisors meeting. In this report, Brad discusses hours for the clerk's office during the election cycle, the final reading and passage of the 1/8th cent sales tax, planning department grants and a state mandated small business loan program.

Carson City Supervisor Karen Abowd gives a recap on the actions taken by the Board of Supervisors at its April 17, 2014 meeting.

At the meeting Supervisors again approved an ordinance allowing for a 1/8-cent sales tax for public infrastructure projects including:

The Carson City Board of Supervisors meet beginning at 8:30 a.m. today in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center. Go here for the agenda, see the agenda below and go here to watch it live.

Among items up for discussion:

It's a little late for Ground Hog Day, but the Carson City Board of Supervisors will have to redo the two votes required for raising the sales tax by 1/8 cent they approved two weeks ago.

According to District Attorney Neil Rombardo, they could not find the documentation to prove that notices were posted in City Hall two weeks prior to the two board meetings on Feb. 20 and March 6.

I asked several downtown people what they think or feel about the passing of the 1/8th cent sales tax and what they see for Carson City’s future. The feelings are mixed, but the hope for an improved Carson City are united, the methods on how to do it have been up for discussion for many years and will be for many years to come.

Today Lori Bagwell pointed to the Plan of Expenditure at the Board of Supervisors meeting and asked for clarification before the Board took its final vote on the 8th of a cent sales tax increase.

UPDATE: Carson City Supervisors reaffirmed its Feb. 20 meeting decision on an 1/8th cent sales tax question with a second 4 to 1 vote favoring plans.

Tax money will go to build a new animal services facility, a new multi-purposes athletic center, street and pedestrian improvements in the downtown area and Carson Street and William Street/Highway 50 East commercial corridors, and Community Center improvements.

Carson City Supervisor Brad Bonkowski provides an update of the Feb. 20, 2014 Board of Supervisors meeting in this edition of It's Your City.

Among board actions, supervisors accepted a $40,000 grant for fire fuel reduction tree service and reviewed other grants. The board reviewed and accepted a liquor license application for Francisco's mexican restaurant set to open in April at the Carson Mall.

The following was read at the Feb. 20, 2014 Board of Supervisors meeting. I said the following:

A Better Plan for Carson City

Now is the time for courage in leadership as we seek to secure financing and determine the timing of projects through a cooperative effort which will bring together the community, city staff and elected officials.

In an emotionally-charged issue that brought out passionate pleas for and against, Carson City supervisors agreed to a 1/8th-cent sales tax to fund several infrastructure projects.

The final vote was 4 to 1, with Supervisor Jim Shirk dissenting. John McKenna, who was seen as the swing vote, agreed in the end which allowed for a required two-thirds majority.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors meet today beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room of the Community Center, 851 East William Street. At 2 p.m. the board will take up the proposed 1/8th-cent sales tax. Go here for the agenda, see the agenda below and go here to watch it live.

Let's ignore the 80/800 group of businesses in Carson City, for the moment, and consider meeting the 20/20 group in a compromise over the sales tax increase to pay for their proposed ten million dollar corridor improvements. Why not have them put up half the money of $5 Million ($250K each) and the city can match their investment for the remaining half? Let's all compromise and meet them halfway. If they are willing to put up their money, where our taxes are to be spent, then let hear it for compromise.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is poised to vote tomorrow afternoon on a plan to raise sales taxes to fund improvements to the city's major corridors, a multi-purpose athletic center and a new animal shelter.

Several readers have offered up their opinions on this issue, which you can find in our Opinion section. Feel free to comment on those articles, or submit your own.

Karen Abowd on Tuesday announced her second run as Carson City Supervisor Ward I, citing her desire to see through many projects currently in process, as well as her commitment to the future of Nevada’s Capital City.

“Carson City has gone through some tough economic times and continues to,” Abowd said. “We have needed to be careful in our planning and how we spend available dollars in order to create sustainable, relevant opportunities that have immediate positive impacts, and build a future we can be proud to leave our children and grandchildren.”

In 2012 the people of Carson City voted DOWN the ballot initiative CC #1 which called for a 1/8th cent hike in the sales tax, to be used for a new library and other development downtown, including the reduction of traffic on Carson Street from 4 to 2 lanes so as to make room for wider, more pedestrian friendly sidewalks or additional street parking or both.

The Mayor said he would like our Board of Supervisors to approve a 1/8 cent sales tax increase. I’d like you to tell them to vote “NO.”

Not because we can’t afford the average $12.50 per family increase and not because none of the projects are worthwhile. It is because the Mayor and a few of our Supervisors have demonstrated that their vision of Carson City is one where an increased cost of living, increased debt, and increased long term fiscal obligations should be our future.

Three basic principles of leadership are: to willingly place the needs of others above your own; make decisions for the betterment of the majority, and have the courage and self discipline to stay the course regardless of the consequences.

As an elected official serving Carson City I would like to share my thoughts on the Mayor’s “State of the City” report which gave the status of the City’s financial stability, showed major accomplishments of the past year, and provided an overview of forthcoming projects.

Read the full text of Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell's State of the City speech, after the jump.

Carson City government finances are good, though not exceptional, Mayor Robert Crowell said Wednesday as he urged a boost in sales tax to do capital projects. In a State of the City speech at a Chamber of Commerce-sponsored breakfast, Crowell cited a $1.1 million bulge in ending balance last year, solid bond ratings and prospects for rising city revenues.

As could be expected, the proposal to raise Carson City’s sales tax has brought out the “government is bad” crowd to whine about everything that could possibly go wrong. The problem with this approach is that there ends up being such a long list of gripes that it’s hard to take any of it seriously. There have no focus, just a terrified howl of discontent about the sky falling.

Carson City Ward 2 Supervisor Brad Bonkowski will hold his monthly “Breakfast with Brad” on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 am at the Cracker Box restaurant. All Carson City residents are invited to stop in.

The monthly meetings help Bonkowski get input on important issues in an informal setting.

Carson City will hold its third workshop tonight to answer questions and take comment on proposed plans to implement a one-eighth cent sales tax that would go toward several infrastructure projects.

Two public workshops will be held today at Fuji Park Exhibit Hall in Carson City. The workshops are designed to answer questions and hear comments regarding a proposed 1/8th-cent sales tax to fund several infrastructure projects.

Yet another proposal to spend money by our city government has been proposed once again to build animal shelters, athletic centers and improve 'corridors'. After the failed city center proposal there seems to be no end to new possibilities for our public officials to spend more taxpayer money. Much like our state and federal governments, increased spending seems to be pandemic. Are these all worthwhile and worthy endeavors?

Rational Carsonites carefully deploy their finite personal capital for maximum value and tangible results. Conversely, our city's officials serially ignore the value proposition, favoring redundant, feel-good projects lacking objective analysis, justification and worthwhile benefits. Core civic services and infrastructure maintenance suffer.

The recent initiative to raise sales taxes, projected to saddle taxpayers with $15 million of additional long-term debt, is largely ($13 million) targeted for more indoor basketball courts and arterial street beautification projects.

The City staff drafted an agenda item that would increase sales tax by 1/8 of a cent.

This increase will help to fund various corridor projects; it will also allow the City to build the Animal Shelter, and the Multi-Purpose Athletic Center. The allocated expense of all projects does not include any debt service fees, interest nor any maintenance, service fees, staffing, or other related cost after completion.

Carson City will hold three public workshops this month that are designed to answer questions and solicit comments regarding a proposed 1/8th-cent sales tax to fund several infrastructure projects.

The money would help pay for a new multi-purpose athletic center, known as the “MAC,” a new animal services facility, and streetscape beautification and safety enhancements along the Carson City’s main commercial corridors and the downtown area.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors meet today beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room of the Community Center 851 East William Street. Go here for the agenda and here to watch it live.

Meetings have been established with two Carson City supervisors to discuss proposed downtown revitalization plans as well as building, improvements and infrastructure for Carson City through a proposed 1/8-cent sales tax.

Carson City's Forward group will meet today with Carson City Supervisor John McKenna, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Business Resource Innovation Center, BRIC, 108 E. Proctor St., Carson City.

Well Howdy folks! I sincerely hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving! We do have so much to be thankful for.

One of the things I am thankful for is that we have finished updating all our office computers operating system to a newer version of “doors” (not the real name to protect the innocent). I haven’t noticed any improvement in productivity yet though. (I thought new computer stuff always meant new tools that make us more productive.