By:  Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President

Assembly Bill 226 is a simple bill with a whole lot of complications.  If it is passed, as written, Nevada irrigation districts would be allowed to increase their authority for going into debt from the current level of $350,000, going to $500,000.  The bill also provides that through Board of Director action, the current level of authority to assess land owners in the irrigation district goes from $1.50 to $5.00 per acre.

Now it’s probably understandable that it takes more revenue for the administrative functions of an irrigation district these days and you can also make the argument that the Board of Directors for an irrigation district (elected from the district) should be able to (a) know what’s needed and (b) not overstep the boundaries of good sense when it comes to raising assessments – but, a $3.50 per acre increase?

Okay, nobody is saying that they are going to increase the assessments, charged on ALL property within an irrigation district, to the $5 level, but they (and the bill is coming in at the request of at least two irrigation districts) are asking to go to the $5 level.

Because the legislation doesn’t actually raise taxes or fees, the normal two-thirds voting requirement doesn’t apply…so when the Nevada Assembly Government Affairs Committee takes the proposal up on Wednesday, March 11, a simple majority vote is all that’s required for passage.

Understanding that getting approval from a majority of landowners in an irrigation district might be difficult, even though a need for increased revenue might be required, putting something into the bill to have an irrigation district board get “member” approval is also problematic.

It also comes down to not just being an issue with current leadership of irrigation districts around the state.  We understand that water right owners of the respective districts have every ability in the world to change the membership of the governing boards by electing people to serve who they feel best represent their interest – but a $3.50 per acre increase?

Our best advice right now is for members of each irrigation district to have a serious conversation with their irrigation district board of directors and find out what the thinking is and why this level of increased authority is worth the legislative proposal.  If you don’t know who your irrigation district board member is … or if you can’t get a hold of them to talk this over – that might be part of the bigger problem that’s got us wondering about the $3.50 per acre increase!