Sunday, July 20, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Clark County officials are wondering what to ask of state legislators when they meet in Carson City in six months. With money tight, it won’t be a pretty session. And state law says the county can ask for only four pieces of legislation.
What’s on the county’s wish list?
Among the more, shall we say, creative ideas: permission to sell naming rights for public parks and programs. Olympic Garden Day Camp anyone?
For now, the county has the authority to award naming rights only for the under-construction 2,900-acre shooting park in Las Vegas.
Why does the county have to go to the Legislature for something like that?
Local governments in Nevada lack home rule, meaning they have to go to Carson City to get permission from state legislators on everything from towing cars out of county parking lots to giving refunds at airport parking garages.
But because the Legislature meets for only four months every two years, some legislators want to give local governments more power. Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani suggested as much at Tuesday’s meeting: “I think those closest to an area know it best and we should be held accountable — but we always haven’t proved that we can be.”
What did she mean by that?
It was probably a reference to the G-Sting scandal, which landed four former commissioners in prison last year for taking bribes from a strip-club owner.
What else is the county considering asking of legislators?
Mostly, permission to raise taxes and fees.
The Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management, for instance, would like to raise emission-testing fees by $2 to pay for the county’s air pollution control program, and increase the vehicle registration fee by $6 to pay for programs addressing greenhouse gas emissions.
Other ideas being kicked around: increase the residential construction tax, increase penalties for contractors who perform work without a permit, and impose fees for the closure of roads and sidewalks to encourage timely completion of public works projects.
Wait a minute. Don’t these ideas clash with Gov. Jim Gibbons’ pledge not to raise taxes?
Yes, which led Commissioner Tom Collins to suggest this idea: “We might want to go now to Congress and secede from the rest of the state and have Clark County be the 51st state and not deal with (the session) next February.” Speaking of Collins: He suggested the state end its cap on property taxes.
But that might not do the county any good. Republican leaders, namely Gibbons and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, have expressed interest in shifting property tax revenue from local governments to the state.
Who’s going to whittle down this legislative wish list?
County staff will refine the list, work with like-minded legislators to adopt some of the ideas as their own, and then come back to commissioners next month to finalize a package of four bills. The deadline for submission is Sept. 1.
Who will take the final requests to Carson City?
Commissioners have approved two lobbying contracts, one for Dan Hart & Associates and the other for In the Loop Consulting. Hart’s firm will represent the county through the 2009 session for $102,000. In the Loop, headed by lobbyist Rick Loop, will represent the court system for $150,000.
Why does the county need lobbyists?
Some county commissioners asked the same question. Giunchigliani and Collins thought the county staff and commissioners could do their own initial lobbying and hold off on hiring a lobbyist until closer to the legislative session. Chairman Rory Reid and Commissioner Chip Maxfield favored the political skill of the man who ran their campaigns, Hart. Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Susan Brager also supported the contract.
Commissioners say they’ll need all the political muscle they can muster.
What does the Legislature think of that?
Well, Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, said last week that if she were reelected, she would draft a bill barring local governments from using public money to pay lobbyists.
The county could always hire a lobbyist to fight that idea.
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