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BOULDER CITY BALLOT QUESTION NUM.

1
City of Boulder City

Shall the City of Boulder City expend up to $750,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund, as
funds become available, to purchase a new fire engine?
Yes . . . . . . . . . . [ ]
No . . . . . . . . . . [ ]
EXPLANATION
Section 143 of the Charter requires that “all expenditures from the Capital Improvement Fund
must be approved by a simple majority of the votes cast by the registered voters of the City on a
proposition placed before them in a general Municipal election or general State election.”
The result of the voting on this question does not place any legal requirement on the City of
Boulder City, any member of the Boulder City Council, or any officer of the City of Boulder
City.
A “YES” vote would allow the City to expend up to $750,000 from the Capital Improvement
Fund, as funds become available, to purchase a new fire engine.
A “NO” vote would not allow the City to expend funds from the Capital Improvement Fund for
the purpose of purchasing a new fire engine.

ARGUMENT FOR PASSAGE

Vote YES on Ballot Question No. 1 to approve using funds from the Capital Improvement Fund
for the purchase of a new fire truck.

Title 1, Chapter 9, Section 3 of the Boulder City Code states capital needs include replacement
vehicles and equipment.

The Boulder City Fire Department is requesting approval of up to $750,000.00 from the Capital
Improvement Fund for a new primary fire engine for Boulder City.

Fire trucks provide more than basic transport; they carry special equipment needed to rescue
people and minimize damage to property.

The 19-year-old backup fire engine does not function adequately to be reliable any longer, so it
is time to dispose of it. This specialized heavy piece of equipment has served well past its useful
life and has become more expensive to repair.

The current primary fire engine is 11 years old and will be rotated to a backup fire engine once a
new engine is purchased. An accurate estimate of needed repairs would be expensive and would
require paying for some dismantling of the truck to see exactly what’s needed, if parts are
available, and how much they will cost. The repair and replacement of parts could exceed the
current value of the fire engine.

As citizens, we have a responsibility to provide the proper tools and equipment to employees so
they can do the job they have been hired to do. None of us want to be the person who calls for
assistance only to learn help had to come from out of town because we had not provided
adequate resources.

Vote YES on Ballot Question No. 1.

(Submitted by the Ballot Question Committee as provided for in NRS 295.217)

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT FOR PASSAGE

The section in the City Code referred to in the argument does identify vehicles and equipment as
capital; however, the Code pertains to a General Capital Facilities/Equipment Account. The
purpose of the account is stated as follows: “Funds contained in this account shall be committed
to use for the future capital needs as determined by the city council through the budget process.
These capital needs include the replacement of vehicles and equipment and the maintenance of
city facilities.” There is already an account established to use for purposes such as a new fire
engine. There is no need to use the Capital Improvement Fund for the purchase of a fire engine.

There is no question a new fire engine is needed. The question is whether or not monies from
the Capital Improvement Fund should be used to pay for it. Considering there is a designated
account for this specific purpose, as well as available funds in the General Fund, the answer is
no. Vote NO on Question No. 1.

(Submitted by the City Clerk as provided for in NRS 295.217)

ARGUMENT AGAINST PASSAGE

Vote “NO” on Question No. 1 to use money from the Capital Improvement Fund to purchase a
new fire engine.

The purchase and replacement of public safety vehicles and equipment should be a scheduled,
continuous practice incorporated into the budgeting process rather than relying upon voter
approval for funding.

Budgeting the purchase of fire engines and other public safety vehicles from the General Fund
rather than the Capital Improvement Fund ensures the City’s fire engines will be replaced
systematically prior to reaching a point where the engines are no longer operable.

The Capital Improvement Fund receives its revenues from the proceeds of land sales and land
leases. The City rarely sells land; however, it recently sold 10.14 acres for the first phase of a
new residential development on the corner of Bristlecone Drive and Adams Boulevard,
providing $3,000,000 of revenue to the Capital Improvement Fund. If the next two phases are
sold, it will add approximately $6,000,000 to the Capital Improvement Fund.

The balance of the Capital Improvement Fund as of April 2018 was $10.2M. With the potential
addition of $6M, the City has the rare opportunity to use these revenues to fund or partially fund
a large capital project, such as a new aquatic center, instead of incurring a large amount of debt.
If the City continues to deplete the Capital Improvement Fund for ongoing expenses such as fire
engines, it will miss the opportunity to fund an asset the community can treasure for many years
to come.

Vote “NO” to funding the purchase of the fire engine from the Capital Improvement Fund.

(Submitted by the City Clerk as provided for in NRS 295.217)

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST PASSAGE

The City has not budgeted a new fire engine from the general fund for the next fiscal year. The
department and residents should not have to do without adequate resources while waiting for the
City to provide a different means of funding.
Using the Capital Improvement Fund for only large capital projects such as a new aquatic center
is a worthwhile goal; however, the budgeting process for the general fund did not make
provisions for the purchase of a fire truck before it became inoperable and required voter
approval to replace it.
At this time, the only funding available for a new fire truck is in the Capital Improvement Fund
which requires a favorable vote by the citizens.
Until the budget for the General Fund includes a new fire engine, a YES vote on ballot Question
1 is needed to purchase this essential piece of equipment.
(Submitted by the Ballot Question Committee as provided for in NRS 295.217)

FISCAL NOTE
This would impact the Capital Improvement Fund in the amount of not more than $750,000 and
then only if funds are available within the Capital Improvement Fund. Such expense would not
require the levy or imposition of a new tax or fee or the increase of an existing tax or fee.

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