School committee to hear proposed revenue sources
A committee will hear a proposal today for revenue sources to build and repair Washoe County schools, officials said Monday.
The staff proposal will be presented to the School Construction and Revitalization Advisory Committee at 8 a.m. at the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority board room, Washoe County School District spokesman Ron Cooney said.
The plan will identify tax increases that would require voter approval Nov. 4. The committee has until May 1 to make recommendations.
“I guess, this is a pretty concrete thing that they’re going to chew over,” Cooney said.
On April 2, taxes on cigarettes, liquor and adult entertainment were mentioned as possible sources of money.
But state Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno and chairman of the group, later said they were “off the table.” He said a tax on cigarettes and liquor would be a state tax and not county specific. A tax on adult clubs would interfere with their constitutional right of freedom of expression, he said.
Since September, the committee has discussed plans to upgrade older schools, classrooms and technology for about $393 million.
In March, the group agreed to focus on renovations for existing schools instead of finding ways to fund new construction.
This article appeared originally in Reno Gazette-Journal.
