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County Commissioner Chris G Says No Stadium, No Monorail, and Yes Fuel Tax

The Clark County Commission has a lot on its plate.

The fuel tax index – which began county-wide in 2014 – is up as a ballot question in November.

Something has to be done about congestion on the Strip – but is that something light rail or overhead highways or an expanded monorail?

And if a stadium is built, will it be on the site of the old Riviera. More importantly, will it use public money?

Chris Giunchigliani sits on the County Commission and she has some strong feelings about the answers to these questions and more.

Fuel Tax Index ballot question

According to Giunchigliani, the gas tax needs to go before voters because that is how it was decided by the legislature. The commission held several discussions about it because some commissioners felt the wording of the ballot issue was confusing. 

The commissioner is hopeful that voters approve continuing the gas tax because of how much money is needed to improve roads. 

"We have about $22 to $25 million for the entire county for road project maintenance," she said but $6 billion in need. 

Giunchigliani said the tax expires in 10 years and audits of the money are required. She also said the structure of how the money is distributed is good for Clark County.

"What's good about this new vote is if NDOT gets their percentage it has to be allocated and spent in the county where it was generated," she said.

The future of transportation

One of the biggest issues facing Southern Nevada leadership is transportation, specifically how to deal with the congestion along the resort corridor.

Giunchigliani said many of the tourists who visit Las Vegas live where they ride public transportation frequently, and she believes it makes sense to improve it in and around the valley's most important area.

"I think it is time that the Strip stepped back and took a look at how people that are their tourists are use to traveling," she said, "You have to make it easy and efficient."

She believes there are a lot of opportunities for "multi-modal" transportation, including a light-rail line from McCarran Airport to the Strip. Giunchigliani would like to see improved public transportation along Maryland Parkway and into other neighborhoods as well. 

The proposed stadium

Last week, Giunchigliani sent a letter to the head of the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure committee. She said the committee is tasked with deciding how to improve convention facilities for the Las Vegas Convention Center.  

However, it has mostly focused on the controversial domed stadium that might house the Oakland Raiders. The supporters of the stadium, including Sheldon Adelson and Majestic Realty, want $750 million in public money from room taxes to go towards building the stadium. 

In her letter, the commissioner wrote in part: 

“Room taxes are public and if someone wishes to build a stadium they should use their private dollars to build it – no public taxes should be utilized in any format.”

She stood by that statement when she spoke to KNPR's State of Nevada and actually went a lot further.

"I don't personally believe that they're really going to be here," she said of the Raiders, "I think this is smoke and mirrors, but I think it is a way to take room tax dollars, public tax dollars, away from the public facility to stop them from being able to be in the same business as some of the other conventioners."

She said the public convention center does not compete with private convention centers owned by hotel-casinos.

Giunchigliani also dismissed the idea that there would be a profit-sharing deal, if public money was kicked in.

"That ain't going to happen," she said, "That's nice to throw that idea out there but they're not going to give out the profit scheme."

Giunchigliani firmly believes the current purposed tax structure to build the stadium would negatively impact all kinds things around Southern Nevada. 

"We have people that are very well-to-do in this town and if you really believe in it then you should go build it but it shouldn't be done by the public," she said. 

Chris Giunchigliani, Commissioner, Clark County Board of Commissioners

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Carrie Kaufman no longer works for KNPR News. She left in April 2018)