Lawmakers tell Tahoe to work out own problems

Thursday, April 8, 1999 | 11:25 a.m.

Panel members commented after listening Wednesday to Assemblyman Greg Brower's proposal to let voters establish five-member "community" school boards. Brower, R-Reno, said he drafted AB413 for schools in geographically isolated areas like Lake Tahoe.

Brower insisted the legislation is not a criticism of Douglas or Washoe counties, and it's not the first step toward separate school districts.

He was joined by Mike Jabara, chairman of the Tahoe Citizens Committee, and James Clark, leader of Independent Incline. Both groups, which represent Nevada communities on the south and north shores of Lake Tahoe, have sought independence, claiming poor treatment by their governments.

Douglas and Washoe county representatives were skeptical. Douglas weathered a 1997 effort by the TCC to form a new county and the school board responded with task forces, capital improvements and other attention to address the deficiencies the TCC claimed.

"Why Douglas County got pulled into this bill, I don't understand," said school board trustee Don Forrester. "It creates another layer of bureaucracy and Douglas County does not need it."

The Douglas officials suggested Brower's legislation is driven by Incline Village residents' resentment at continually rising property taxes and the perception that Washoe County is ignoring them.

Lawmakers said the problem needs to be resolved for good as they lectured Washoe County School District spokesman Steve Williams.

"Why do we have to hear this same issue every single session? We hear the same thing over and over," said Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon. "Is there no way to solve the root problem without going through this exercise every single time?"

"These folks are asking for a committee. Can't you form an Incline committee?" asked Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas. "Have you offered that to these folks?"

Williams, who attributed the movement to a "very active core group that would like to split off Washoe County," said he thinks the school board has sufficient mechanisms for working with Incline residents.