Signature allows Laughlin incorporation effort to advance

Laughlin residents could get a chance to vote on whether to make the town a full-fledged city under a bill that Gov. Brian Sandoval signed Friday.

Sen. Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, said that he was "thrilled" the bill he sponsored was enacted and that Laughlin residents probably will get to determine their town's future in the 2012 general election.

He and other proponents had to persuade skeptical lawmakers that Laughlin could support itself and wouldn't need the state or Clark County to bail it out in the future, Hardy said.

"It was a rocky road for a while to get everyone convinced," Hardy said.

Laughlin's casinos, the mainstay of its economy, would be excluded from incorporation.

Disenchantment with county authority has fueled efforts to turn the town of roughly 7,000 residents bordering Arizona into a city. Proponents acknowledge that many details must be worked out, including how to provide all of the vital services.

The state must do an extensive study on how financially feasible it is for the town to incorporate. Laughlin will pay for the study from a local fund set aside to aid the town's development.

The County Commission and a legislative panel will review the study's findings and decide whether Laughlin residents should vote on incorporation in 2012.

Only one of the bodies has to give the go-ahead.

Town Constable Jordan Ross, who supports incorporation, said he feels "a cautious optimism" at this stage.

"There's still a great deal of work to be done," Ross said.

Ross said he doesn't expect most county commissioners will approve the ballot.

He said he is more hopeful about the legislative panel giving the townspeople a chance to vote. Lawmakers seem to have warmed up to the idea of Laughlin incorporating, as evidenced in the bill's passage, he said.

By contracting services and other creative approaches, Laughlin could run a city for significantly less than the $12 million it costs to run the county's fire station in the town, Ross said.

Commissioner Steve Sisolak said if the fiscal study shows that Laughlin will have enough revenue to deliver the necessary services, he will support letting residents vote.

"I'll support whatever the community wants," Sisolak said.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.