In a nutshell: Carson City local ballot questions summarized and explained
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Tue, 10/22/2024 - 9:55am
Take a look below for the summary and explanation of what each Carson City ballot question entails.
Looking for state question explanations? See our previous reporting here.
Carson City Question 1
What it asks:
Shall Carson City be authorized to increase its sales and use tax by 0.25%, with the revenue generated from that tax increase to be deposited in a fund dedicated solely to reconstructing, maintaining, and repairing local public roads in Carson City?
In a nutshell:
If passed, 25 cents for every $100 spent in Carson City will be collected for the use of road repair, maintenance and reconstruction of local roads.
What it means:
Currently, there is an existing 0.25% sales and use tax in place in Carson City for the maintenance and repair of public roads. The ballot question would increase the sales and use tax to 0.5%, with the revenue generated from that 0.25% to be used only in the reconstruction, maintenance, and repair of local roads.The 0.25% tax was first installed in 1986. State law allows the city to collect up to 0.5% for road maintenance.
The 0.25% increase would not be allowed to be used for new road construction, only for the repair and maintenance of existing public roads, including curb, gutter and sidewalks.
The 0.25% increase is estimated to generate between $4 million and $4.5 million in funding.
Those in favor of passage argue that the tax is a practical and fair solution to address the urgent issue of Carson City’s poor local roads. For each $100 spent, the city would collect 25 cents. They say nearly half of all local roads are determined to be between “poor” (serious cracking) and “Failed” (just shy of being gravel). While regional roads like Carson and William can use federal and state funding, 70% of roadways in Carson City are solely the responsibility of local funding. The gas tax collected can similarly only be used for regional roads.
Those against passage argue that while the roads are in poor condition, the Board of Supervisors should have planned better to provide funding for the roads. They say the board developed a strategic plan in 2022 that did not include funding for roads which why they argue residents should vote against the measure.
Cost to voters?
Yes, through the passage of this measure, individuals making purchases within Carson City will be charged an additional 25 cents for every $100 spent to be used towards the roads.You can read the full text of the ballot measure, including arguments for and against, on the sample ballot or by reading the sample ballot online here.
Carson City Question 2
What it asks:
Shall Carson City be authorized to impose a supplemental government services tax of $0.01 on each $1.00 of valuation for vehicles based in Carson City, with the revenue generated from that tax increase to be deposited in a fund dedicated solely to reconstructing, maintaining, and repairing local public roads in Carson City?
In a nutshell:
If passed, the measure would collect $0.01 for every $1.00 of assessed vehicle value while registering each year at the DMV. Assessed value is 35% of the suggested retail price the first year, and depreciates every year after.
What it means:
Similarly to question one, this is a second tax imposed to fund the repair, reconstruction and maintenance of local roads in Carson City. If passed, 1 cent for each $1 of the value of a vehicle will be collected during registration of the vehicle in Carson City.As it pertains to this measure, a vehicle’s initial value is generally 35% of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, according to state law. So, if the fair market value of a 2020 Honda civic is $20,000, the assessed value would be $7,000. Then, each year, that number will be reduced based on a depreciation schedule set by state law. The first year, the vehicle’s owner would expect to pay $70 during registration, which would become less each year following.
If passed, it is anticipated to generate approximately $2.5 million per year for city roads. Please see question one for a description of what constitutes a local road versus a regional road.
Those in favor of passage similar to question one argue this is a “practical and fair solution” to address the issue. The same statistics are used to support this measure as the question one measure. They say the proposed tax is a “relatively small cost” for vehicle registered within the city, and this will also allow vehicles that use less gas (hybrids) or no gas (electric vehicles) contribute to roads. They say the owner of a new $50,000 car would only pay $175 in the first year, and after nine years, would only pay $26.25. They say if funds are not raised to deal with this issue, by 2020 over 95% of roads will be within poor or failed conditions.
Those against passage argue that the question’s language feels generic, and does not list “step-by-step” details on how the money will be used. They say the language leaves it up to the board of supervisors on how the money will be used within road repair and maintenance. Similar to question one, they say that since there is not a strategic plan in place for road repair and maintenance, and the language used could mean the funds might be used for bike lanes, landscaping, sidewalk maintenance, etc.
Cost to voters?
Yes, this would implement a cost to vehicle owners each year as they register their vehicles. Vehicle owners would pay $0.01 per every $1.00 of assessed vehicle value (see above for what assessed value means).You can read the full text of the ballot measure, including arguments for and against, on the sample ballot or by reading the sample ballot online here.
