Clark County to vote on ending request to Legislature for Metro funding study

At their Tuesday meeting, commissioners will consider deleting a bill draft request they sent to the state’s Legislative Counsel Bureau in September to request the study.

Commissioners sought the study because they think Metro, which both the county and Las Vegas fund, does not assign enough officers to neighborhoods and high-profile areas of the county such as the Strip.

But during last month’s special legislative session, Nevada lawmakers approved a bill authorizing the commission to raise local sales tax for funds to hire and equip more than 300 Metro officers, including 66 who should be stationed on the Strip.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo has also committed another 68 officers to combat crime on the Strip.

“What once was a critical need, over the last few months, Metro has addressed the immediate need,” Commissioner Larry Brown said.

“That satisfied my concern that the Strip was getting short-changed,” said Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, who suggested the study at a September commission meeting and but now endorses rescinding the request.

At their Tuesday meeting, commissioners will hold a public hearing on raising the sales tax by one-tenth of a percentage point beginning April 1. A two-thirds vote of the commission is required for approval.

The sales tax increase would generate about $39 million, with $7.9 million going to the Las Vegas resort corridor for 66 new officers; $31.3 million would be budgeted countywide for 245 new officers.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.