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Minority Hiring Lags In County’s Fuel Tax-Funded Projects

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Projects paid for by a Clark County fuel tax increase have not employed as many minority workers as local officials expected.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal  reportsthe three-year tax increase resulted in more than 2.1 million hours of work in transportation projects. Of those hours, 4 percent went to African-Americans and less than 1 percent to Asians.

Payroll data compiled by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada also show one-third of the work hours went to Hispanics, while Caucasians took up almost half of the hours.

County commissioner Lawrence Weekly says he is "totally disgusted" to learn about the few hours that went to black workers over the past three years.

Clark County commissioners approved the use of the fuel tax increase for transportation projects in 2013.

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