Regents approve bonds to start dental school

Friday, Dec. 7, 2001 | 10:13 a.m.

The state Board of Regents on Thursday agreed to accept $25 million debt to help start a new dental school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Regents voted 8-2 to approve a revenue bond issue to purchase facilities at 1700 W. Charleston Blvd.

The purchase includes three buildings totaling 187,000-square-feet, which will house the dental school and two biotechnical research facilities.

UNLV officials said they will pay the bonds back over 30 years with revenue from Medicaid customers, capital improvement funding and student fees.

Regents Mark Alden and Steve Sisolak cast the dissenting votes, expressing concern that the new debt may result in a situation similar to the one involving the fire science academy in Carlin.

Regents were to vote today on whether to approve a bond issue of $31 million to pay the debt on the defunct fire academy. University officials defaulted on loan payments last year after the fire academy closed due to low enrollment and environmental problems.

In other action, the regents approved a pay raise for UNLV President Carol Harter. With the increase, Harter becomes the state's highest paid university president.

The regents voted 9-1 in favor of a salary package that raised Harter's annual pay from $186,924 to $201,000.

The vote on the salary package had been postponed due to complaints from university donors that regents wanted to address. A decision on the salary increase was also delayed in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

This is the first time in three years that Harter has received a merit increase.

The board also approved raises for three other campus presidents in the University and Community College System of Nevada: Rita Huneycutt, Truckee Meadows Community College, from $137,101 to $145,767; Carol Lucey, Western Nevada Community College, from $130,000 to $139,360, and Stephen Wells of the Desert Research Institute, from $172,000 to $183,040 a year.

Sisolak, citing economic concerns, voted against the raise.

"This is a difficult issue in light of the economic times we're facing," Sisolak said. "While I think they are all very deserving, the situation we face economically sends a dangerous message, therefore I can't approve it."