Road bill would quickly create construction jobs

The employment market for road construction crews will improve swiftly and significantly if Gov. Jim Gibbons signs a bill that would allow the Regional Transportation Commission to immediately begin work on projects throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

Today, staff members are expected to submit to commissioners a list of nearly 100 projects that could be designed, constructed or improved if Gibbons signs Senate Bill 5.

The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature at its special session in March. Assembly Transportation Commission Chairman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, said he would be surprised if Gibbons didn't sign the bill because it was crafted with help from the governor's office.

Tracy Bower, spokeswoman for the transportation commission, said the projects are all considered priorities, but not all will be funded. The lengthy list will allow entities to move on to a different endeavor if a project is stalled.

"We would try to create jobs as quickly as possible," Bower said, noting that all jobs would be private-sector work.

Two elements of the Senate bill would benefit transportation funding.

One portion would funnel money from the state's Fund for Cleaning up Discharges of Petroleum. The state collects fees from businesses that control or are responsible for the storage of petroleum.

If the bill is approved, the Regional Transportation Commission would receive a yet-to-be determined percentage of the state-collected funds. The commission would then distribute money to Clark County and the cities within the jurisdiction.

The second transportation-related element of the bill relates to Question 10, a sales tax ballot question approved by voters in 2002. The initiative increased the state's sales tax and allocated one-eighth of a cent of the new revenue to the Regional Transportation Commission.

That portion of the increase is set to expire in 2028 or when $1.7 billion is raised, whichever happens first. State legislators were told during the special session that the county is near the $1.7 billion. The Senate bill would lift the expiration criteria. That could produce as much as $25 million a year, which could be used to set up a $500 million bond program for transportation projects statewide.

Money collected from the initiative already has been allocated to transportation projects. The approval of the Senate bill would enable the transportation commission to put additional projects out to bid.

"This is not a new tax. It won't cost any more when you go to the store and purchase something," Bower said. "We would be creating construction jobs very quickly that we would not otherwise be able to put out to bid."

Bower said the transportation agency opted to submit the projects list to commissioners today to begin work more quickly if the governor signs the bill.

Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel contributed to this report. Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal. com or 702-387-2904.