Legislative season almost here

Ahhh… it is a wonderful time of year. Spring is just around the corner. The sun shines longer, the birds are singing, and plants are blooming. It is a magical time of year!

For a guy like me, every other spring – the ones that end in odd numbers — brings another wonder: Legislative session in Carson City. I was fortunate to spend 20 years as a lawmaker, serving in the Nevada Assembly for eight years, and Nevada Senate for 12 years. Even on the toughest of days, it was a civic duty that I enjoyed and appreciated.

I was once again in Carson City recently with City Attorney Brittany Walker and our Government Affairs Representative Warren Hardy (no relation). We had an opportunity to share details about this incredible community. We discussed demographic data such as how many students are in our schools, how many veterans live in Boulder City, and celebrated that we are the safest city in Nevada. The legislators were impressed by Boulder City’s fiscal responsibility, with our sustainable controlled growth ordinance, and with our transparency, making all of our financials available on our website through Socrata (http://bcnv.org/socrata).

Every year, lawmakers consider hundreds of Bill Draft Reports (BDRs). These come from a diverse group of people and places. Laws that fit Las Vegas may not be a good fit for Boulder City. Some of the ideas are unfunded mandates, laws requiring certain actions by the community without providing a funding component. Having a presence in Carson City helps us make sure that any legislation that passes does not create undue hardship for Boulder City.

Case in point: in 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed AB363, requiring all Nevada cities and counties in the state to develop ordinances and policies allowing short-term rentals, a controversial issue in Boulder City for several years. Our presence in Carson City ensured that municipalities with fewer than 25,000 residents were excluded from the bill, and therefore Boulder City was not required to allow short-term rentals. (Boulder City went a step further in March 2024, prohibiting short-term rentals and setting an up to $500 a day fine for violations.)

The city has its own BDR in the 2025 Legislative Session, asking that the Nevada Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) allow communities with less than 25,000 residents to hire someone who is collecting retirement be eligible to work full time while collecting the retirement benefit, with some restrictions. This could provide Boulder City an opportunity to hire those with vast job knowledge and experience in fields where recruiting can be difficult.

Boulder City is unique: we’re small, but located near big cities. It’s important that we have a seat at the table with all Nevada cities, and that our collective voice is strong.