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RTC warns of steep cuts without new revenue; bill asks county to permit future sales‑tax ballot question
Summary
The RTC told the Senate committee that without additional sustainable funding southern Nevada could face major route eliminations and service cuts beginning in 2027–28. Assembly Bill 28 would extend the RTC's authority to ask Clark County to place a sales‑tax question before voters so the agency can pursue a funding measure.
Regional Transportation Commission CEO MJ Maynard Carey and counsel Kelsey Hardy presented Assembly Bill 28, which would extend the RTC’s authority to recommend a sales‑tax ballot question to the Clark County Commission. RTC staff told the Senate Government Affairs Committee that the agency is operating with a limited revenue base — primarily sales tax and passenger fares — and that a model they presented projects an $85 million deficit in fiscal 2028 absent new revenue sources.
Maynard Carey outlined services the RTC currently provides: 39 fixed routes using more than 400 buses, paratransit, RTC On Demand service, school transit and other programs. She said the agency ranked twelfth‑busiest nationally and has an unusually high fare‑box recovery ratio, but has faced rising labor and equipment costs and post‑pandemic declines in some sales tax revenue. The RTC’s financial model showed projected service reductions if no new funding is identified: in fiscal 2027 the RTC could eliminate seven routes and partially reduce 20 others; in fiscal 2028 the model showed eliminating about 20 routes and cutting paratransit service to roughly half the current service area.
Presenters said the cuts would affect access to hospitals, colleges, schools and grocery stores, and would reduce mobility for low‑income riders, workers and the unhoused. Kelsey Hardy said AB 28 is a narrow change to NRS 277A.047 extending the RTC’s authority to place a ballot question through Dec. 31, 2028.
Supporters — including UNLV, DRI, Clark County, multiple cities and business and labor groups — testified in favor. Speakers emphasized transit’s role in heat resilience (carrying people to cooling centers), economic access and housing affordability. Several witnesses urged voters be given the choice to fund transit. Senators asked technical and revenue questions, including whether online marketplace sales would be included in the tax base; RTC staff said they would follow up with more detailed revenue estimates.
Why it matters: without a new sustainable funding stream the RTC model projects deep service cuts that would impair transit access across southern Nevada; AB 28 would authorize the RTC to bring a ballot question forward for voter consideration.
Ending: Committee members heard wide support from business, labor, universities and public‑health organizations; the RTC said it would provide additional revenue detail to the committee and indicated it would work with the County Commission on the ballot question process.
