Incline Village- or town?

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — On Election Day the people of Incline spoke in almost a 2-to-1 vote not to go ahead with the planning phase to create the town of Incline Village.

The effort didn’t die on Nov. 4, however. Shortly after, a trio of people formed and volunteered personal time to determine if it was possible to work with the Nevada Legislature in February and amend Nevada Revised Statute 269 (commonly referred to as town law).

But a lack of support prevented the effort from moving forward past the new year, said Incline Village General Improvement District Vice-Chair Gene Brockman, who worked on the effort after election day.

“Since a considerable amount of effort and research already had gone into changing the NRS (before Election Day), we decided it was a good idea to proceed forward with the bill draft,” said Brockman, who worked with IVGID General Manager Bill Horn and IVGID legislative lobbyist Mary Walker late this year. “But we couldn’t get any organizational support, including the support of the IVGID board, so we dropped the effort.”

Brockman asked the IVGID board for an endorsement to move forward with NRS amendments on Nov. 20, the second day of the board retreat.

However, the board didn’t entertain a motion because Brockman’s request wasn’t seconded by another board member.

From there, Brockman said there was no point to go forward. As to when things can move forward, though, is anyone’s guess, he said.

“Sooner or later, our residents will understand we need a different governance system in Incline Village and Crystal Bay,” Brockman said. “At this point, it seems a town is the only thing that is politically viable.”

Horn said that if he were to continue working on the effort, or a different effort, he most likely would seek approval from the IVGID board first, since work toward the effort would have to come on his own time. Walker was unavailable for comment as of press time.

On Election Day, 3,209 voters (63 percent) voted “no” on IVGID ballot question No. 7, an advisory question to allow Independent Incline members and Walker to go ahead with the creation of the town of Incline Village. Thirty-seven percent (1,935 votes) of voters checked “yes” on their ballots.

After the “nay” vote, Independent Incline, the grassroots organization that has tried for about 30 years, in different ways, to improve the municipal governance of Incline Village and Crystal Bay, met to decide the future of the group.

Incline resident Jim Clark, current chair of the group who referred to the post-Election Day meeting jokingly as a “wake,” said things are in a holding pattern — but the group doesn’t plan to give up.

“We’re on a well-earned vacation.” Clark said. “We did have our wake, and there was a little tail-between-the-legs feeling, but we still want to continue the effort. I think probably after the first of the year, we’ll get together.”

Waiting and seeing after New Year’s Day is something Brockman said he plans to do as well, considering that’s when new politicians, and incumbents, take over in preparation for February’s legislative session.

The political shift of power toward Southern Nevada should make things interesting, he said.

“The political strength of Northern Nevada, particularly Washoe County, is shifting to the south,” Brockman said. “The shift ... may or may not intensify the effort (to create a town). It’s anybody’s guess.”

This article was published in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza 12/26/08
By Kevin MacMillan
BONANZA EDITOR

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