Clark County voters on Aug. 2, 2022 approved a public safety sales tax. This increased sales tax in Clark County by one-tenth of 1% or one penny for every $10 spent.
The estimated revenue from the increase is $12 million per year in total, to be divided between the county and each of the cities in Clark County. The county will receive 60% and the cities will split the remaining 40% based on population.
- The county will receive $6 million in 2023 because the tax would begin on January 1 and the first distribution from the state would be at the end of March.
- The distribution for 2024 will be $7.5 million because the county would receive 12 months of revenue plus interested earned on the 2023 distribution.
What will it be used for?
The safety sales tax will be used to fund law and justice expenses, including but not limited to body worn and dash cameras, staffing for the Sheriff’s Office needed for jail bed expansion and other expenses.
Why was the tax proposed?
While the tax collected can be spent on criminal justice purposes, one expense the county specifically intends to use the revenue for is to fund body-worn cameras and dash cameras for Sheriff’s deputies.
Buying the cameras would be a one-time expense. However, there would be on-going costs in maintaining the cameras including staff needed to respond to public records requests for video recordings.
The county has held the line on general fund expense growth for 10 years, and there is a significant pent up demand for services that the current revenue streams can’t support.