After a hearing that lasted most of Wednesday afternoon, the new Nevada Irrigation District Board of Directors also approved a budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year that assumes a five-point-seven percent water rate increase for each of the next five years, pending final action by the Board early next year. Expenses exceed revenues by around 10-million dollars. But District General Manager Rem Scherzinger says the gap was closed with reserve money. He says they have over 91-million dollars in reserves….

Scherzinger says the reserve also helps the district avoid service cuts when their are budget deficits…

The water rate increase would also allow the district to take less money out of its reserve fund. The Board approved the budget on a split 3-2 vote. New directors, Ricki Heck and Laura Peters, voted “no” because they did not want the rate hike in the budget until its fate is finalized early next year.