As we’ve elsewhere demonstrated, IVGID is a limited purpose special district. Which doesn’t mean it’s not a “governmental subdivision” nor 100% “public.” Rather, it means IVGID cannot exercise the same types of general municipal police powers¹ other local governments can exercise². But this reality doesn’t fit well with naysayers because they insist IVGID be something it’s not permitted to be. So they describe the District as being something far different. Some hybrid between business and government. For instance,

Quasi-Public: Naysayers want you to believe that not only does IVGID have general municipal police powers¹, it has more! In other words, powers no other local government may exercise because we’re only “quasi-public.” Without providing a definition for quas public³, they assert IVGID can engage in “for profit” commercial business enterprises rather than simply furnishing facilities and services to the inhabitants of Incline Village and Crystal Bay and the residents of the State of Nevada⁴. And since we can engage in those enterprises, we can do everything every other privately owned commercial business enterprise can do. Whatever that entails.

And IVGID does nothing to dispel this false narrative. Interestingly, one local newspaper, Moonshine Ink, has asked the question What does IVGID mean by “quasi-public?”?

“If it means ‘not exactly public,’ then the term is a gross exaggeration when it comes to IVGID’s convoluted finances. Determining how much money each venue/program loses is impossible. That should be readily available public information, but since IVGID separated out its debt service and capital expenses when it abandoned enterprise fund (reporting), it’s like trying to budget for your household expenses and forgetting about the mortgage and the car payments (IVGID’s idea of transparency). IVGID calling itself a ‘quasi-public agency’ is an outright lie. It is a public agency. A political subdivision of the State of Nevada. Subject to the same ethics, public records, and purchasing laws as other local governments. (Apparently) someone took the phrase ‘quasi-municipal corporation’ from NRS 318 and mistakenly translated that to ‘quasi-public.’ IVGID calls itself ‘quasi-public’ to convince us it can ignore laws designed to protect the public interest.”

At the Board’s September 24, 2024 Town Hall, the IVGID Board was expressly asked what the term “quasi-public” mean,t and where in the NRS it is described? The answer given by attorney Rudin was nowhere⁵.

Common Interest Community: aka homeowners’ association (“HOA”). In avoiding the reality of what IVGID really is, 2024 candidate for trustee Nick Homan said it best:

My “view (is) that our recreational venues are held for the common interest of the community, and as such, that those venues and other assets owned and managed by IVGID are made available primarily for the benefit of the community as a whole.  This involves a ‘portfolio’ approach to managing our recreational facilities – one that seeks to operate the recreational venues as a mutually reliant and sustaining set of venues at the total District level.”

In Nevada the term “common interest community” is defined at NRS 116.021(1):

“Common-interest community means real estate described in a declaration with respect to which a person, by virtue of the person’s ownership of a unit, is obligated to pay for a share of real estate taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance or improvement of, or services or other expenses related to, common elements, other units or other real estate described in that declaration.”

Tahoe Donner Homeowners‘ Association: (“TDHOA”). Former GM Bill Horn would oftentimes refer to the District as the equivalent of the TDHOA. He would oftentimes state that because it is so difficult to compare what IVGID does to other GIDs in the State, we should compare ourselves to the TDHOA because they do so many of the things we do. After all, it has: beaches and a Beach Club at Donner Lake; Tahoe Donner Ski Resort; Lodge Restaurant & Pub; retail sales; Trout Creek Recreation Center; and, magazine. And of course much higher HOA assessments than our RFF/BFF. And because our RFF/BFF is so much lower, naysayers point to the TDHOA as the reason why the former represents so much more “value.”

Theses definition help explain why many people in our community refer to IVGID as the equivalent of an HOA. Well of course it isn’t. And at least now, you know.

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1. Namely the power to provide for the health, safety and general welfare of its inhabitants.
2. See our How The Powers of a GID Differ From Other Local Governments discussion.
3. One dictionary describes the term as “having some public and some private features, for example providing public services but being privately owned or run.”
4. See NRS 318.015(1) which instructs that the “purposes, powers, rights, privileges and immunities provided in this chapter will (primarily) serve…the inhabitants…of (Incline Village, Crystal Bay) and of the State of Nevada.”
5. The District livestreams its Board meetings. Its livestream of the Board’s September 24, 2024 Town Hall can be accessed at https://livestream.com/ivgid/events/11183215/videos/251600684 (“the 9/24/2024 town hall livestream”).