Special projects receive funding

Tuesday, June 1, 1999 | 11:10 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Two of the final bills that made it through the closing session of the Legislature Monday contain more than $18 million for "special projects" for such things as sporting events, library exhibits, and housing projects.

Assembly Bill 703 and Senate Bill 560 are labeled the "pork barrel" bills because they are pet programs of legislators and are outside the budget recommended by Gov. Kenny Guinn. Few lawmakers, however, refer to them as "pork."

A good share of the money goes to nonprofit organizations that carry on social programs.

And Clark County gained more than $6.1 million to be divided among more than 30 projects.

At the beginning of the session, the tight financial picture facing the state offered little hope for these "one shot" programs to get any state funding.

Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, said the Senate and Assembly budget committees cut a lot of the funding in the governor's budget. Guinn produced another $9.5 million by a bond refinancing scheme and the Economic Forum raised its estimates by $105 million of the tax money available in the coming two years.

That made it possible for the money to be available for these projects.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said many of the projects came to the committee in the form of bills from their backers. And they have been combined in the two bills -- one for the Assembly and the other for the Senate.

One of the biggest single grants -- $2.8 million -- will be for revitalization of Gerson Park in West Las Vegas into a mixed-use, mixed-income development. The project is being pushed by former Las Vegas Councilman Frank Hawkins.

One of the smallest grants is for $15,000 for temporary housing for spouses of veterans at the new Veterans Home being built in Boulder City.

There are $500,000 grants for the California-Nevada Super Speed Ground Transportation Commission and for Opportunity Village for construction of a new facility.