Sales Tax to Fund Water Projects Extended in Las Vegas Region

The Clark County Commission is extending a sales tax, created in 1998, which could have drawn to a close after raising $2.3 billion or the year 2025, whichever came first. The tax will remain in place indefinitely.

1 minute read

September 5, 2019, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Las Vegas Sprawl

trekandshoot / Shutterstock

"A quarter-cent sales tax raising $100 million annually for water and wastewater projects will remain in place indefinitely following a decision Tuesday by the Clark County Commission," reports Kelcie Grega.

"The tax, which was approved by voters by a significant margin in 1998, has raised more than $1.4 billion over the last two decades," adds Grega. "The 6-1 vote removes a sunset clause that would have made the tax expire in 2025."

That $1.4 billion in funding has contributed to projects like new treatment facilities, debt service for North Las Vegas’ water reclamation facility, and debt service for a waterline connecting Boulder City to the River Mountains Water Treatment Plant. No mention of future plans for the funding are mentioned in the article.

Opponents of the sales tax criticize the regressive burden of the sales tax on low-income residents of the county. According got a another article, by Shea Johnson, on the same subject, County Commissioner Tick Segerblom voted against lifting the sunset clause of the sales tax, "arguing that the tax was tantamount to subsidizing water rates, which doesn’t promote conservation, and the money could be better used elsewhere."

Tuesday, September 3, 2019 in Las Vegas Sun

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

2 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

4 hours ago - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation