EDITORIAL: How will mass transit on Strip be paid for?

Clark County voters will face one tax-related question on the November 2016 ballot: inflationary increases to the fuel tax. But might they see another question related to transit funding?

Last week's NewsFeed breakfast at the Four Seasons raised that possibility. The panel discussion presented by the Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce addressed valley transportation and focused heavily on the need for expanded mass transit on the Strip — and how to pay for it.

Panelists said other cities, such as Phoenix, have paid for light rail lines through bonding from voter-approved sales tax increases. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will release a major transit plan later this year that could include a rail line down the Strip and a monorail expansion to Mandalay Bay, among other improvements. RTC General Manager Tina Quigley said the conversation about how to pay for those improvements, which would improve visitor and worker mobility on the Strip, will start once the plan is released.

Might the Clark County Commission subsequently place a transit tax advisory question on the 2016 ballot? It's certainly possible. Waiting until 2018 for voter input would ensure that work couldn't start before 2020, when Strip congestion will be markedly worse.

Clark County voters should be prepared to consider another major campaign issue next year.