Clark County Council ends plan for levy lid lift request on February ballot

The Clark County Council will not move forward with a February ballot measure asking voters to boost staffing at the sheriff’s office after a Monday meeting ended in a stalemate.

The council has met repeatedly to consider a property tax levy lid lift since July, when Sheriff John Horch requested the council fund 40 new deputies for his agency.

County councilors have also considered how increasing area law enforcement would affect other county departments, such as the courts, jail, and prosecuting and public defense offices. At the same time, the county is facing a looming budget deficit of $11.7 million in 2026.

Still, the sheriff said the number of deputies patrolling the county has not kept pace with its growing population and that experienced staff are leaving the agency due to the amount of overtime required of them.

“We’re probably already at a breaking point,” Horch said. “We can only do so much. We are trying to put our resources out there as best we can to meet the public’s needs. But deputy wellness is extremely important.”

Council Chair Gary Medvigy pressed his fellow councilors to move forward with a ballot measure to fund additional deputies, whether in February or a later election with higher turnout.

“You do not support law enforcement if we don’t move forward with a positive plan today. It’s a form of defunding the police to allow our population to increase by 150,000 without increasing law enforcement,” Medvigy said. “We are too far behind.”

The council on Monday considered a variety of options: a measure funding just the number of deputies the sheriff indicated would reduce current overtime; a measure also funding impacts of boosted staffing on the rest of the justice system; and another that would also address the county’s looming deficit, which the county manager said would result in staff being cut if it’s not addressed.

The councilors could not agree Monday on an approach, although they largely expressed support for adding deputies and funding additional staff for the justice system.

Councilors have not yet scheduled a time to resume their discussion.