Recreation gets boost while some other tax deals lose

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 9:34 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevadans agreed Tuesday to open their pocketbooks to preserve open spaces and recreational areas and to provide more help to poor families in paying their property tax.

But the voters rejected a suggestion to give tax breaks to big auto racing companies and to farmers when they buy their equipment. And they defeated a plan to help counties build more public schools.

Voters passed three constitutional amendments, including one to ban gay marriages in the state. They rejected six proposals, including one to legalize possession of up to three ounces of marijuana.

Question 1 on the statewide ballot would allow the state to issue up to $200 million in bonds to pay for protecting natural resources and wildlife habitat and improve parks, recreational areas and cultural resources. The question passed 59.7 percent to 39.9 percent.

A good share of the money will go to Southern Nevada, including $25 million to the planning and development of the Las Vegas Springs Preserve; $10 million for a regional wetlands park at the Las Vegas Wash; and $35 million to establish a museum at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

The state Division of Parks would get $27 million to acquire and improve existing parks and $65.5 million to provide grants to local governments.

When the bonds are sold, the property tax rate will go up 2.6 cents per $100 of assessed value. That rate on a $200,000 home would amount to a tax increase of $18.20 a year.

By a count of 58 percent to 41.6 percent, voters approved Question 8, which allows the allow the Legislature to pass a law for reduced property taxes on a single family home whose owner is facing severe economic hardships

The 2003 Legislature will set guidelines on who will qualify.

Question 7, which failed 56.9 percent to 42.6 percent, would have allowed the state to borrow money outside its debt limit to help in the construction of schools. At present, the state can issue bonds only up to 2 percent of the assessed valuation. This would have permitted bonds for school construction to be sold outside the state debt limit.

Proposed constitutional amendments to exempt auto racing companies and farm equipment from the statewide 2 percent sales tax were voted down. The Legislature had already exempted such purchases from local government and school support sales taxes.

Racing companies convinced the Legislature they might move their operations to Las Vegas if the state gave them a tax break. But voters turned down the Question 4 professional racing amendment, 78 percent to 21.5 percent. The farm equipment plan -- Question 3 -- was defeated 60.2 percent to 39.3 percent.

Other proposed constitutional amendments rejected were: