Nevada Taxpayers Assocation opposes property tax initiative

Thursday, May 20, 2004 | 11:13 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The 44-member board of directors of the Nevada Taxpayers Association has voted to oppose an initiative petition that would put a cap on raising property taxes.

Carole A. Vilardo, executive director of the association, said today the petition raised too many questions that would force court interpretations. Although many members of the board of directors thought the limit on property taxes would be beneficial, they agreed this was "not the right vehicle."

For instance, she said, many of the tax overrides approved by voters such as the 28 cents on the property tax in Las Vegas for Metro Police might be threatened.

The association's directors would rather see a "clean" proposal, instead of one that would prompt lawsuits, Vilardo said. The vote was taken last week as part of a meeting teleconferenced between Reno and Las Vegas Wednesday.

The initiative petition, proposed by Republican Assembly members Sharron Angle of Reno and Don Gustavson of Sun Valley, would limit increases in property taxes.

Angle said the announced opposition by the taxpayers association would not hurt efforts to gather 51,234 signatures by June 15 to qualify the issue for the election ballot. She said she has more than 7,000 names already and each signature gatherer is picking up more than 125 names per day.

If the initiative gets the required signatures, the issue would be put before the voters in November. If approved, it must be ratified a second time by the voters in 2006.

A similar proposed constitutional amendment was approved by Nevada voters in 1978 for the first time. But then the 1979 Legislature made changes in the law. And the voters in 1980 rejected the initiative.