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Quarter-cent sales tax for police will be discussed by Legislature

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Updated: 2/02 1:05 pm
LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- In 2004, voters approved a half-cent sales tax on Clark County taxpayers to spend on law enforcement. Half of that increase (quarter of a cent) has been used by Metro.

The tax has generated more than $400 million for Metro and has funded about 530 officers.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie will seek the Legislature’s approval to collect the other quarter-cent sales tax. He says the revenue will be used solely to fund police officer positions.
Gillespie plans to make visits to Carson City to lobby for the tax.

“People I have talked with tell me we have a very good case of getting it approved,” Gillespie said in a news conference in mid-January.

North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City departments would also benefit from the tax. North Las Vegas currently has less than 1.2 officers per 1,000 residents while the national average is just over 2 officers per 1,000.

While increasing a tax in current economic times will pose some problems, Gillespie’s department faces a deficit of nearly $50 million. The economy has already cost Metro some 230 officer positions, primarily through attrition. It may lose about 120 more officers in the coming year unless it can get approval to help with its budget issues.

Other law enforcement departments in Clark County have faced similar budget issues.

Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval and every southern Nevada municipality as well as Clark County officials have expressed support for the additional tax.

The final decision to approved the tax is up to the Legislature. Putting it into effect would be up to the Clark County Commission.

Nevada State Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D-North Las Vegas) has said she will bring the issue up for discussion during the session that begins Monday in Carson City.

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6 Comment(s)
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2lolo - 2/3/2013 12:06 PM
0 Votes
Soon Nevada will TAX people out... Cut that Good For Nothing Gillespie pay in half....

timothy - 2/3/2013 9:33 AM
1 Vote
So they got a 1/2 cent a few years back but only got half of it. Who the heck got the other half, the schools as usual!!!!!! Two years ago metro had a surplus. Maybe those new police stations they built had a little too many luxury items in them and paying prevailing wage to build them cost US too much. I say no more sales tax, were already above 8 F"ing percent!!!!!! I too buy everything I can online, and besides gillespie is pretty close to anti 2nd amenmdment as he can get!!! He has never supported the sherriffs for the constitution in the rest of the country, until he does I say he doesn't get squat. Besides his people have too many controversial shootings and the police union stops all the court proceeding so they can't be investigated. I say let them get the money from the police unions!!!!! And governor sandoval needs to go next election. He's always in favor of raising taxes. Even though he campaigned saying he wouldn't raise taxes. Well he did the first legislature he was in, he voted in the 600 million sunset tax again that was supoposed to go away, as in sunset. He's voting it in again this session and he's supporting raising dmv fees again!!! He's a liar, he's already broken all of his campaign promises!!!!!!!!!!!!! FEES are taxes governor and state legislature, no matter how you put it fees are the same as taxes!!!!!!!!! Nevada citizens are tired of tax increases especially the ones who moved here from california to get away from the rest of the loonie tax makers!!!!!!!!!!!!! You people have taxed our businesses, you have doubled the unemployment tax and your'e talking about doing it again. That doesn't count the other increases as in business licences and other fees! The nevada legislature is anti business and pro tax, and we wonder why jobs are so hard to get!! Were also tired of paying for lawsuits because of your'e abusive officers and wrongful death suits! Get your'e budget balanced!

worromot - 2/2/2013 7:35 PM
0 Votes
At least the police department is spreading the financial responsibility among all Nevadans, versus the school district that was trying to stick just homeowners with the responsibility of financing school maintenance.

worromot - 2/2/2013 7:34 PM
0 Votes
At least the police department spread the financial responsibility to all Nevadans, not like the school district that was trying to stick just homeowners with the funding of school maintenance.

cfarino - 2/2/2013 3:12 PM
2 Votes
NO! Lets not spend our money so they can hire more traffic cops to hide behind walls and give us tickets for going 45 in a 35. They are slightly overpaid already for a non college job. Cut pay and growth should pay for growth!

whivsiv - 2/2/2013 2:25 PM
2 Votes
Our sales tax is already way too high. I already buy anything I can online to avoid our ridiculously high sales tax rate. Raise taxes on mining, not on the people who are already struggling in the nation's worst economy. Keep raising that sales tax, and the only things I'll buy locally are gas and groceries, and if they start taxing online sales, I'll have my purchases sent to my family in Oregon, which has no sales tax, and have them ship them to me.


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