North-South split over slot tax revenues

Tuesday, May 20, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Some regents say they are concerned that 69 percent of the state's slot machines are in Clark County, 18 percent in Washoe County, yet Nevada's two major universities split a slot tax fund nearly 50-50.

A portion of state gaming taxes flows into the state's Special Higher Education Capital Construction Fund, with that money going to the University of Nevada, Reno and UNLV.

Three members of the board of regents - Maddy Graves, Tom Wiesner and Mark Alden - say UNLV has more pressing needs, such as expansion and upgrades of the Thomas & Mack Center and Sam Boyd Stadium.

"By any measure you want to take - the number of slot machines, the number of people, the number of students - I think the majority of funds should be coming to Clark County," Graves said Monday. "The current formula is flawed. We need something like a 75-25 split.

"I'm not convinced Reno's needs are as great as UNLV's," he said.

UNR President Joe Crowley and university system Chancellor Richard Jarvis want to maintain the 16-year-old tradition of earmarking 55 percent for UNLV, 45 percent for UNR.

"We have always been strong as a system, and that strength has come from recognizing the divergent needs of the different campuses," Crowley told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "The system can't survive with appropriations that reflect locally generated revenues."

There are 25 buildings at UNR in need of repairs, Crowley said. The university also needs to spend slot tax revenues to create sports fields for women's soccer and softball at Bishop Manogue High School, which UNR eventually plans to purchase, he said.

Funding formulas would not be "fair and equitable" if Clark county suddenly began receiving slot tax collections in proportion to the revenues generated by Southern Nevada's booming casinos, Crowley said.

University regents have called a special video-conference for Friday to discuss details of construction upgrade and expansion proposals at UNLV and UNR.

Regents will receive a status report Friday after tentatively approving an April plan by Jarvis to finance $25 million in major renovation and upgrade work on UNLV sports facilities and $20 million for various projects in Reno.

Southern Nevada tourism officials have been pushing for a $45 million expansion of the Thomas & Mack Center, a move they say is necessary to keep the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The arena would expand from 18,000 to 26,000 seats.

Funding for the various projects comes from a $250 tax on each slot machine. The state has more than 188,000 slot machines, a category that also includes video-poker machines.