Karen Abowd announces run for second Carson City Board of Supervisors term

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.”

A professional designer, Abowd also co-owns Café at Adele’s with her husband, Chef Charlie Abowd. The couple moved to Carson City in 1980 to help run the family restaurant, taking it over from Charlie’s father, Paul 19 years ago.

“We have raised our children here and now our grandchildren are growing up here, as is the case with so many of our families,” she said. “I have experienced the challenges facing our community from both a personal and professional standpoint and know first-hand that people come for the quality of life.

“Carson City is perfectly positioned to become a bedroom community for the region, offering the best in education and as the gateway to diverse recreational opportunities.”

In her first term, Abowd has been privileged to serve the community and been part of decision making that has made positive changes, she said.

As a member of the Carson City Visitors Bureau, Abowd was actively involved in selecting a director and today, the Bureau is marketing Carson City in ways never done before. As a result, lodging properties and local businesses are seeing positive impacts.

Her attentiveness to the local animal shelter has resulted in positive changes for that facility, and she has worked collaboratively to foster an approach of cross-jurisdictional sharing services between Carson City and Douglas County for public health environmental services, enabling these health departments to share programs, services and resources in a cost-effective way and increased outreach. She is also a member of the Carson City Cultural Commission and continues to work on an ordinance for funding public art and the performing arts.

“We need economic growth to fund the arts because they are one component in creating the engine that drives a healthy economy,” she said. “It’s time to roll up our sleeves, lift the hood and get to work, because every time someone thinks a delay is prudent, the actual result is stalled economic growth.”

Under her direction, The Greenhouse Project has brought together volunteers and city and school officials to provide horticulture and agricultural knowledge and job skills for the community’s young people, while growing fresh vegetables that help provide food for the underserved populations in Carson City. Since its beginning, the program has grown from 20 to 160 students and a waiting list, and reestablished a once-defunct agricultural program at Carson High School.

“Having been an interior designer for more than two decades, I jokingly though seriously refer to what those in the field call ‘Designer’s Disease,’ she said. “I see the vision long before a project is completed and when someone tells me something can’t be done, my response is to say, ‘yes, it can, and here’s how.’
“Problem solving and an ability to see the outcome despite the roadblocks and challenges are part of what (designers) are trained to do.”

Part of Abowd’s present focus is the Corridor Project and the 1/8-cent sales tax, designed to offset the costs of that project.

“It is time to take our corridors and decide who we are,” Abowd said. “With completion of the bypass set to happen, we need to create new ways to bring people to our downtown so that business can thrive, and while I know change is concerning to some, we cannot afford to wait or do nothing.”

Abowd said the impact study shows that 60 percent of the proposed sales tax will be paid by local residents and 40 percent by visitors. In tough economic times, community improvements still need to be done and new streams of revenue found, she said, adding that due to the amount of state- and federally-owned land within Carson City’s boundaries, just 18 percent of Carson City’s population pays property tax. The 1/8-cent increase is an equitable and workable way to offset costs, without being burdensome.

The creation of a sports complex and multi-use facility is also on the table, with an eye toward bringing tournaments and other events to Carson, and with it, high demand for lodging and other services. This would provide additional funds through increased room and sales tax revenue.

“Many visitors to our area are families who may want to visit Lake Tahoe, but would prefer to stay in a place that is more amenable to family-friendly activities,” Abowd said. “Carson offers much of that.”

There are other, less glamorous concerns also at play, such as what to do with the effluent issue as Empire Ranch Golf Course becomes part of a bankruptcy action and the need for mixed-use and high-end housing.

“We need to create places that allow for easy living options for our growing senior population and shine the light on how wonderful our schools are and how that is an investment in our young families,” she said.

Abowd is also currently working on creating a food hub that will provide affordable access to locally-grown foods and as is her passion, foster additional public-private partnership and sustainability.

“There is so much work to do going forward in creating an economically viable and sustainable environment keeping alive the jobs we have and providing a new horizon for the jobs we need, and adding relevant, meaningful opportunities for our children and grandchildren, as well as allowing us to provide needed amenities for all generations of our residents,” she said. “By taking a positive approach and setting high expectations, we can create our own opportunities, and I will continue my efforts with focus and energy.

“We need to take care of our own, and the time is now,” Abowd said. “Doing nothing is not an option.”

The community is invited to attend a Meet and Greet with Abowd, March 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Café at Adele’s, 1112 N. Carson St. She also encourages everyone to meet with her the second Friday of each month, from noon to 1 p.m. at Mills Park for a walkabout, and to bring their ideas, questions and concerns. For more information, visit www.electkarenabowd.com or call her at 775-232 8626.