Lawmakers cut Guinn's Tahoe funding plan some slack

CARSON CITY -- Legislators are backing off from earlier criticism of Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to change the way Nevada pays its share of the bistate Tahoe Regional Planning Agency budget.

Guinn wants to shift the TRPA's source of Nevada dollars from the state's general fund to a pollution control account within the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety.

The governor's plan had been criticized by southern Nevada lawmakers who consider Lake Tahoe to be mostly a problem for northern Nevada that shouldn't drain funds disproportionately from all over the state.

Assembly Ways and Means Chairman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, had warned state officials that the plan would be closely scrutinized to ensure it's fair to the 14 counties outside the Tahoe Basin. Only three take in parts of the mountain lake.

But that scrutiny wasn't apparent Thursday. Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani explained that earlier critics have since warmed to the idea of using the statewide pollution control dollars to help keep Lake Tahoe blue.

"I don't have a problem with using pollution control money. I haven't received any phone calls or complaints from constituents about this funding," Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, told a budget subcommittee.

Nevada's share of the TRPA budget is about $4.5 million over the next two years -- a $400,000 increase over the current budget. California's share is roughly double.

The Nevada pollution control account has a projected balance of $5.8 million by the end of fiscal 1999. The account gets revenue from statewide sales of emissions certificates to smog stations, and Giunchigliani said there's no other demands on the account.

Mostly, the joint Senate-Assembly budget subcommittee wanted to know if the TRPA would have enough cash to last through the coming two years. Panel members were assured the agency would.

The TRPA is charged with overseeing development at Tahoe and guarding against environmental damage that could speed a deterioration of the lake's water quality.

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