All aboard the Nugget Project ballot train
Submitted by admin on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 10:02am
For the past few weeks, we've been subjected to dueling columns on the Carson City Center Project, aka Nugget Project.
First you had the side that wants the question put on the ballot in November via a petition. Then, you had the project supporters who tried to push back against this effort, insisting that our elected officials should handle it.
I think you can now officially score this a win for the ballot petition.
Carson City Library Director Sara Jones announced yesterday that she will ask the Library Board to officially make a recommendation to the Carson City Board of Supervisors to put the City Center question on the ballot.
It's quite an about face, but not unexpected. I wrote last week that it would be wise for supporters to gear up a campaign to get this project approved since it appears likely the petition will proceed. It is politically difficult to fight efforts to give voters a direct voice on contentious projects like this. Continuing to fight a vote was just giving petition supporters ammunition to collect more signatures, claiming that the pro-project people were afraid of the voters.
Jones is now trying to get back ahead of the issue, which is a smart move politically. There is little doubt that the Library Board will approve her request, and the Board of Supervisors will follow suit.
The Appeal story quotes current Library Board member and former supervisor Robin Williamson being in favor of this move. This is especially interesting because she was dead set against this going up for a public vote from the beginning. I can remember talking to her about this very issue two years ago, and she was very adamant that the supervisors make the decision, not the voters.
This tells you how much the political winds have shifted.
There may still be some fights ahead. The petition supporters are moving forward with their plans, so we may see two different questions proposed for the ballot. That could touch off some legal wrangling between the two sides.
And of course, once they decide on the question, then the real campaign begins. The City Center supporters will have to really work to convince voters of their vision, not an easy task.
And of course, all this comes in the middle of an election where there are two seats on the Board of Supervisors up for a vote. Look for this to become a big issue among the candidates vying for those board seats.
Update: Library board agenda is below:
