Carson City hosted two public meetings Monday to discuss the fiscal budget for 2019 before they propose the budget to the Board of Supervisors on April 19th. While the meeting was to gain information for 2019, reviewing data from 2017 indicates positive growth for Carson City.
"The sales tax number for fiscal year '17 crossed over the billion-dollar mark is total sales tax in Carson," Jason Link, Chief Financial Officer for Carson City, says. "The last time we were at this level is fiscal year 2006. That means we're back to pre-recession levels for economic activity inside Carson City. We've recovered to a point that we're beyond the decline of the Great Recession."
Following a presentation, people asked representatives from specific departments questions. Public Works and the Carson City Sheriff's Office received the most questions at the later Monday meeting. Most questions for public works surrounded two projects near the downtown corridor.
"Our major project this year will be two-fold," Link says. "The Curry St. project and also we're working on the design phase for South Carson [St.]"
Link says South Carson Street, south of 5th Street, could be better utilized now that I-580 connects with US-50, but that's in the very early stages. Curry Street will see improvements this year similar to improvements made to the sidewalk on Carson Street last year.
Phyllis Patton is a Carson City resident who attended Monday's meeting to show her support for the library. While she voiced her concerns she also says she likes some of the things the city is doing well, including downtown redevelopment.
"I love what they did with Carson Street last year," Patton says. "I'm looking forward to what they do on Curry Street this year, and further what they're going to do with South Carson Street."
Sheriff Ken Furlong was one of a few representatives answering questions for the Carson City Sheriff's Office. He says ironically, most of the concerns he's heard from the public center around the department's main priority, and increase in traffic enforcement.
"Traffic is the primary, main focus in this presentation today," Sheriff Furlong says. "It is one of those that is biggest [problems], or having the greatest impact on us."
Patton says she continues to come to public meetings like Monday's, because she feels like her voice is heard by officials.
"I know from past experience that they listen to that input from the citizens," Patton says. "So I think that's why it's important."
If you'd like to see the budget presentation or presentations from individual departments, just click on this link: http://carson.org/2019budget
