The money's for streets, not street sweepers

The city of Nevada has made a big blunder in managing street department funds. It seems that someone has mistaken a street sweeper for a street resurfacing or curb and gutter replacement project. Hmm. Last time we looked, a street sweeper in no way resembles a street surface. Or a curb. Or a gutter. It's not even used to repair them. According to information passed on to the city's infrastructure committee last night, the city's spending $200,000 of the Street Fund, generated by a 1/2-cent sales tax extended by voters in August 2006, to purchase a new street sweeper. The ballot measure read, "Shall the City of Nevada continue for five years an existing sales tax of one-half of one percent for Transportation Purposes for resurfacing and construction of curbs and guttering for existing Nevada streets. All funds collected each year shall be deposited to the street fund for this purpose."

While we agree that if indeed the city's current street sweeper is in need of replacement the city should investigate how it can properly do so, this is not the way. Voters only OK'd a specific type of street maintenance. The ballot did not include this aspect of street maintenance and the money should not come from this fund. Infrastructure committee members say the reduction in funds available for the street improvements taxpayers bought, paid for and have a right to expect will likely cut about four streets from the improvement list. Who wants their street taken off the list?

Nevada Daily Mail