The Clark County Council has put three charter amendments on the ballot. Amendment No. 16 is to increase the sheriff’s salary, and should be approved. Amendment No. 18 changes the requirements for local initiatives. Knowing the cost and likely legality of an initiative will help petition signers and voters make educated decisions. It should be approved.
Amendment No. 17 has some good parts but one poison pill. It fixes some of the issues that plagued the last redistricting process which went to the Clark County Council to pick the map and pushed the decision to be made just days before Candidate Filing Week. Candidates should know what district they live in much sooner, and the council shouldn’t pick the map they run in.
My concerns with the initiative: It puts control of the redistricting committee in the hands of the council. Currently, the council picks two names from lists of five submitted by the two major parties. Those four pick the fifth member. This amendment has the county council interview applicants and select the committee members. It’s nonpartisan but there has to be a better way than letting the fox populate the henhouse. Vote “no” on Amendment No. 17.
