85°F
weather icon Clear
Boulder City, NV
Opinion

Legislative season almost here

March 6, 2025 - 5:05 pm
 

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.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
bcr default image
Shaka, rattle and roll
By Ron Eland

Earlier this month, it was reported that a couple of minor earthquakes hit Nevada, which should come as no surprise to many considering our proximity to the San Andreas Fault.

bcr default image
That’s good; no, that’s bad
By Rod Woodbury

Have you ever noticed how life can feel perfectly calm, and then suddenly everything hits at once? The calm before the storm is a real phenomenon in nature. The atmosphere often becomes extra still and quiet just before a raging storm breaks. And then, when it finally rains, it often pours, as the saying goes.

bcr default image
Garrett excels in classroom, field, stage
By Melanie Teemant Principal, Garrett Junior High

Garrett Junior High School has been very busy this quarter. Across campus, classrooms are wrapping up their final projects and concluding MAP testing to bring us into the final few days of the school year.

bcr default image
Something new is afloat in Boulder City
By Julie Calloway Parks and Recreation Director

Last week, city staff took the Municipal Pool bubble down for the last time.

bcr default image
Elections with love
By Eric Lundgaard

I was happy to see that Boulder City is going to have an election that provides time for both communicating as well as understanding. It is unresolved until Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Choices for city council should never be ignored or hurried. Our duty as citizens is to objectively apply the best information we have to decide for whom to vote.

bcr default image
Library gearing up for summer
More than Books By the Boulder City Library

This May we have some wonderful programs coming to the library, including the kickoff to the much-anticipated 2026 Summer Reading Program.

bcr default image
A busy spring at Mitchell
By Tracy Echeverria Principal, Mitchell Elementary

As always, the leaders at Mitchell have been busy.

bcr default image
The Mouse, his House and me
By Ron Eland

I’m about to say something that divides many in terms of their opinion. More than should a sandwich be cut horizontally or the diagonal cross-cut. Even more than the question of Coke vs. Pepsi and even more controversial than whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable.

bcr default image
Challenging (budget) forecast ahead
By Cynthia Sneed, Finance Director

Have you ever called for emergency services in Boulder City? Did you know that on medical calls, the fire department typically sends two or more first responders? The American Heart Association recommends one responder manages the patient’s airway; another monitors cardiac activity; another is responsible for administering medication; and two provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or lift assists as needed. On a heart attack or stroke, up to six responders may be needed.

bcr default image
Your mind matters when you think first
By Rod Woodbury

Once upon a time, I moonlighted as the mayor of Boulder City. But even then, as now, I mostly earned a living as an attorney. As much as I loathe billing clients, it’s obviously necessary in order to put food on my family’s table.