Clark County ought to wait till the November normal election to ask voters to fund a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} in native legal justice staffing wants and a jail rework, the county supervisor suggested councilors on Wednesday.
County councilors heard throughout two conferences Wednesday about attainable approaches to poll measures, together with a bond, a rise within the public security gross sales tax, a brand new juvenile detention and jails gross sales tax, or a levy lid raise. County officers stated to be able to fund the $471 million jail enlargement undertaking, together with a request from the Clark County sheriff for 90 extra deputies and subsequent staffing throughout the courtroom system, the county will possible want to hunt a mixture of a number of tax measures.
Councilors say funding is a problem, however they assist the jail rework undertaking, in addition to boosting staffing throughout the justice system. County Supervisor Kathleen Otto reminded the council Wednesday the county can be dealing with a $10 million structural deficit.
Otto really helpful the council not rush to put funding measures on the August poll — except the county learns that the town of Vancouver intends to put its measure on that poll. Metropolis officers have stated they intend to return to voters to ask for funding for 80 new Vancouver law enforcement officials, together with 36 nonsworn staffers, after a earlier try failed on final November’s poll.
Otto stated she’s been in contact with Vancouver Metropolis Supervisor Lon Pluckhahn about how they will finest collaborate. Though metropolis officers are nonetheless engaged on the timing of their very own measure, Otto stated she’d be stunned if it was prepared for the August poll.
“In an ideal world, every city and every county would stand together, because this is a countywide concern and should be a united front,” Otto stated.
Otto stated she felt the council ought to wait to see the end result of a number of funding payments working by way of the state Legislature, and he or she was cautious of competing with a library measure set for the August poll.
“I don’t think it’s going to be successful,” Otto stated of any August poll measure. “And we haven’t been out in the community talking, because part of all this is an intentional public relations campaign to educate and to hear what the residents think.”
Otto stated she’ll possible put the difficulty on the agenda once more subsequent week for councilors to contemplate offering course on timing and specifics of any poll measures.
