RTC of Southern Nevada proposes $766M budget for fiscal 2019

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada plans to purchase more vehicles, build additional bus shelters and complete several road improvement projects as part of a proposed $765.7 million spending plan for fiscal 2019, agency officials said Thursday.

The commission’s budget, set to start July 1, represents a 15 percent spending decrease from the past year because of $135 million less being budgeted for roadway projects, RTC Finance Director Marc Traasdahl said.

“We budget funds to ensure we’re not oversaturating the community with too many construction projects,” RTC spokeswoman Catherine Lu said.

About $397.6 million — accounting for 52 percent of expenditures — will go toward capital projects, including roadwork and bus operations. About $2.5 million will pay for bus shelters and safety enhancements, Traasdahl said during a budget presentation for the RTC’s board of directors.

Plans also call for buying 15 new 40-foot buses for $8.8 million, 40 new 60-foot buses for $36.3 million and 50 new paratransit buses used by disabled riders for $5.7 million, Traasdahl said.

The RTC is projected to generate $579.1 million in revenue, with 37 percent of the money coming from the local sales tax, 18 percent from grants, 17 percent from fuel revenue indexing, 13 percent from the motor vehicle fuel tax, 11 percent from bus fares, 1 percent from aviation fuel tax and 3 percent from “other funds.”

Traasdahl said the transit agency’s budget will be balanced with either cash reserves or a carryover of funds from the current fiscal year to the next year.

The RTC board is scheduled to discuss the fiscal 2019 budget further, with possible adoption, during a meeting set for 8:45 a.m. May 24 at the Clark County Commission chambers, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.