Boulder City to see familiar questions on June 7 ballot

There will be plenty of questions but no candidates on the ballot when Boulder City voters head to the polls for the June 7 municipal election.

And a couple of the questions should seem familiar.

For the second time in six months, Boulder City voters will be asked to free up money from the city's capital improvement fund to buy ambulances and police vehicles.

During the Nov. 2 general election, more than 55 percent of voters rejected a proposal to spend $500,000 in capital funds on new emergency vehicles.

Now that single ballot measure has been split in two and gone up in price by $100,000. Question 1 seeks up to $350,000 in capital money for new ambulances, Question 2 seeks up to $250,000 for police vehicles.

City officials plan to replace old ambulances and police vehicles one way or another. The ballot questions will simply determine whether the money comes out of capital or operational funds.

Police Chief Thomas Finn said his department spent about $480,000 from the general fund last year to buy nine new police cars, but "we're still not where we need to be."

If Question 2 passes, Finn said it would establish a sort of rotating account in the capital fund with which the city's entire fleet of police cars could be replaced over a five-year cycle.

The other ballot measure voters should recognize is Question 8, which seeks to make the job of city attorney an elected post.

Back in November, roughly 56 percent of voters approved the necessary change in the city charter, but it has to pass once more to become the law of the land in Boulder City. Early voting starts Saturday and lasts through June 3 at City Hall.

Also on the ballot:

■ Question 4 would allow the Boulder City Library District to buy 4 acres of city-owned land on which the library sits for $1 rather than continue to lease it.

■ Question 5 would reduce the city's residency requirement for council and mayoral candidates from 2 years to 30 days, bringing it into line with state law.

■ Question 3 would clear the city to refinance its share of the debt associated with the Southern Nevada Water Authority's troubled third intake project at Lake Mead.

No specific refinancing plan is in the works, but the matter must come to a vote under a new Boulder City ordinance approved last year that requires voter approval any time the city takes on new debt of at least $1 million.

Boulder City is home to about 16,000 people and roughly 9,500 registered voters. The community consistently ranks near the top in Clark County in terms of voter turnout, but that record will be tested by this election's candidate-free ballot.

There were races for mayor and two council seats this year, but they were all decided in the April 5 primary with outright wins by incumbent Mayor Roger Tobler and new council members Peggy Leavitt and Rod Woodbury.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.