County puts brakes on tax equity

Jeff Schweers

Friday, May 30, 1997 | 11:44 a.m.

Only a month ago, Las Vegas officials rejected a plan offered by the County Commission to help lower property taxes by about $120 a year for the average city homeowner.

City officials dismissed those proposals as inadequate, pushing instead for a single gaming district that would reduce taxes by almost $200 a year for city residents.

But with that bill all but dead at the Legislature, the tables have turned.

"There won't be a creation of a single gaming district at this point," said Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, who has been working with city and county staff on a compromise that would help lower the city's tax rate.

City officials now want to reopen negotiations with the county, but county officials are unwilling. They want to wait until Tuesday's municipal elections are over when the climate for negotiations will be less politically charged.

"They want to get back what the county offered, get back where they were," County Manager Dale Askew said. "I don't think our commission wants to talk about it until after the city elections. They don't want to give them any campaign fodder. If the city wants to sit down and talk again, they can do it after the election."

The chief architect of the single gaming district, Councilman Matt Callister, is in a close election run-off with Larry Brown, a city planning commissioner and public services director for the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

"Right now, with the election going on, politics are in play," Commission Chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates said. "We want to wait until the politics are over with so we can deal with the issues and not campaign political rhetoric."

Callister refused to speak to the SUN directly, routing his comments through Communication Director Cathy Hanson. Hanson said Callister was "willing to work with anyone, anywhere, any time" on the tax equity issue.

Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, a Callister supporter, also refused to respond directly. According to Hanson, Jones was "disappointed that the commission views tax equity as political, instead of responsible public policy."

Jones said she would continue to work with James and the County Commission to resolve the tax equity issue, Hanson said.

James said he knows nothing about the county's position regarding the elections.

"I have been working up here to effectuate this settlement, which is going to benefit directly the taxpayers of the city of Las Vegas," James said, calling the proposed settlement "an important milestone" in city-county relations.

So far, two recommendations have been agreed upon, both of which are part of the county's proposal rejected by the city. Senate Bill 254 would give back to the cities the percentage of their gaming tax revenue that currently goes to Clark County. Another bill would adjust the Metro Police manpower formula in the city's favor.

A hearing on the proposal has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Combined with cuts in the city's Municipal Court budget and a 9 percent "growth rebate" to taxpayers, the city can reduce the tax rate by 23.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.

But the city has been adamant about lowering the tax rate by 29 cents per $100 of assessed value.

To get there, the city wants $2 million a year from the county in exchange for Lewis Avenue, which the county wants to vacate so it can expand the Clark County Detention Center without creating a separate building. That would reduce the tax rate by another three cents, to 26.5 cents.

Commissioners refuse to bite on the Lewis Avenue carrot the city is dangling before them.

"I am all for helping any city, but it has to be reasonable and I think their request is unreasonable," Gates said.

The commission was clear in rejecting an earlier proposal to spend $2.6 million of county money to help lower the city's tax rate, Gates said.

"We put a variety of options on the table, and the majority of the board said no to this, and yes to that," Gates said. "That's all we can do for right now."

Additionally, the city wants to revisit gaming tax revenues between now and the 1999 Legislature.

"They're holding the line on this 29 cents as a goal," he said. "We feel we've offered up all we can offer."

James said he is not trying to interfere in local affairs, especially with regards to Lewis Avenue.

"When they get that resolved, they can tell me," James said, "and we'll move ahead."