Senate panel hears bill to kill tax roll publication requirement

CARSON CITY — County assessors would no longer be required to publish annual property tax rolls in the local newspaper under a proposal that would save taxpayers statewide hundreds of thousands of dollars at the expense of newspapers.

Senate Bill 95 sponsored by Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, would give counties the option to instead publish the list on their websites. Counties with populations fewer than 100,000 residents — currently all but Clark and Washoe — would have to make at least 10 copies available to the public free.

In testimony Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development, Parks said the existing requirement to publish tax rolls in the newspaper is an “antiquated system” that wastes precious taxpayer dollars.

According to the Nevada Assessor’s Association, the legal requirement cost Nevada counties nearly $811,000 last year. In Clark County, last year’s tab amounted to $670,000.

Barry Smith, executive director of the Nevada Press Association, was the only one to testify against the bill. Smith repeated a familiar argument that not everyone has access to or is comfortable with using the Internet.

Smith also said a printed form of the record should be preserved at the library or archived with government records.

He said he will propose an amendment requiring that in lieu of publishing entire tax rolls, counties should pay for full-page newspaper ads four times annually notifying residents about property tax deadlines, appeal processes and other important information.