WEST WENDOVER, Nev. — Much like patrons at a school dance, Utah and Nevada officials are unsure who should take the first step to come together in the effort to annex Wendover, Utah, into Nevada, joining it with West Wendover.
Residents already have voted in favor of moving Nevada's state line east to incorporate the small Utah community, but the devil is in the details. Although a state line is all that separates the towns, big differences in tax structures, schools and debt loads are complicating the discussion.
During the first in a series of public hearings Friday, residents and officials of both cities packed the West Wendover City Library to hear how the monumental change in state borders could take place. The Utah side has been, essentially, a bedroom community for workers who serve the moneymaking casinos on the Nevada side.
Some elected officials on the Nevada side remain fairly cool to the idea of adopting the Utah community, complaining that they would be left with several debts and a crumbling city infrastructure.
"Obviously this is an issue of great concern for both communities," said Nevada state senator Dean Rhoads, chairman of a subcommittee created by the Nevada Legislature to study the annexation issue.
Chairman of the Elko County Commission, Mike Nannini, pointed out that West Wendover
City and Elko County stand to inherit up to $50 million in liabilities and debt from Wendover, Utah. "I don't see how this community can stand that. Who pays up the bill?" Nannini asked. "We're also going to have an increased welfare and indigent cost . . . We've got to be real. Who's going to pay this bill?"
West Wendover City Mayor Josephine Thaut accused Utah officials of being deadbeats on the issue: refusing to step forward and offer to pay off some of Wendover's debts, among them $2 million in loans at the Wendover Airport and $4.5 million in bonds from the Tooele County School District for an elementary school.
"Where is the state of Utah in all of this?" Thaut said. "Utah has remained, for the most part, very silent on this." Thaut was perhaps referring to the fact that no high-ranking Utah elected official attended Friday's hearing. Utah Gov. Olene Walker and Utah Rep. Rob Bishop sent staff members to listen to the comment, but neither gave any input.
"I have seen no participation from the state of Utah, no participation from Tooele County," Thaut said. "(Wendover's) water and sewer lines all need repair; they have no real roads to speak of."
Nannini said he feels Utah is simply trying to pawn off a lackluster town on Nevada.
But the door swings both ways, said Tooele County Commissioner Gene White, who pointed out that the majority of Wendover residents work in West Wendover, yet Utah pays out more in social welfare subsidies. "Utah and Tooele County are paying for the education of the children of parents who work in West Wendover," White said. White added that Tooele County has been waiting to be approached with a proposal from Nevada officials to deal with the issues.
One West Wendover city councilwoman said the pains of merging the two cities in Nevada would only be temporary but would be a positive move in the long run. "I truly believe that the negatives of annexation are short term," said Jamie Riley. "Whether in Utah or in Nevada, you live in Wendover; we're one community."
Riley pointed out that with 2,000 residents on the Utah side and 5,000 residents on the Nevada side, combining schools and populations would make a stronger community.
In November 2002, the residents of both cities voted to merge behind Nevada's state line. Committee chairman Rhoads reminded officials that the voters had already made their decision and that it was up to both states to find a way to annex.
Residents in both cities spoke at Friday's hearing, expressing support. As a mother, Sandy Caceres of Wendover, Utah, said annexation would provide better medical services and educational resources for her children. "If we were together as a community, the benefits would be for our children," Caceres said.
"We're one community; we have always been one community," said Lonie Clark of West Wendover, who added the problems could be worked out.
Laura Snider of West Wendover, however, said she was opposed to annexation. Snider said she worried about how much her property taxes would go up to pay for new infrastructure in ailing Wendover. Nevada has no income tax.
Rhoads put the situation into perspective. "This is an unprecedented situation. You don't move a state line every day," Rhoads said.
The annexation subcommittee will schedule four total hearings, the next in Carson City, before forwarding a recommendation to the Nevada Legislature. Ultimately, the state line switch will take an act of Congress when both states come to a final agreement.
E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com