Lyon County may take a closer look at its own ZIP code boundaries after commissioners voted Oct. 1 to support a similar effort underway in neighboring Storey County.
The Lyon County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a letter supporting Storey County’s effort to make ZIP code boundaries more closely match county geographic boundaries.
County Manager Andrew Haskin said Storey County has identified several problems created by ZIP codes that cross jurisdictional lines. The Mark Twain area of Storey County, for example, shares a ZIP code with part of Lyon County, while areas along the Interstate 80 corridor share ZIP codes with Sparks.
Storey County officials have cited possible confusion involving emergency dispatch, addresses and the distribution of tax revenue.
Haskin told commissioners Lyon County has some of the same issues and said the county may eventually consider joining Storey County’s effort.
He specifically pointed to Mound House, which is in Lyon County but uses a Carson City mailing address.
The mismatch can create confusion when addresses are used by state agencies, businesses or online retailers to determine jurisdiction. Commissioners also questioned whether ZIP code boundaries can affect the distribution of taxes and vehicle registration revenue.
Haskin said taxes are generally supposed to be determined by a person’s physical location rather than mailing address, but acknowledged that the systems do not always line up perfectly.
“If they can get that fixed, then maybe it’ll be a little bit more accurate and won’t create some of that confusion,” Haskin said.
During public comment, a resident asked whether changing ZIP code boundaries could affect where residents vote.
Haskin said it would not. Voting eligibility is determined by county and parcel information rather than ZIP code, he said. Commissioners also noted that Lyon County uses vote centers, allowing county voters to cast ballots at any voting location within the county.
Haskin said he plans to discuss Lyon County’s similar concerns with Storey County and could bring the issue back to commissioners at a future meeting.
For now, the board’s action applies only to Storey County’s effort to correct its ZIP code boundaries.
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