Panel suggests tax hike for police starting in 2011

By Cy Ryan

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | 6:55 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The Senate Taxation Committee has recommended increasing the sales tax to hire more police officers in Clark County – but on a delayed basis.

But first the committee sharply criticized North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon for saying he would lead a drive for a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sales tax on services.

The Senate committee agreed that an increase of one-eighth of one percent on the sales and use tax shouldn’t be effective until July 2011 and then another one-eighth of one percent in July 2013.

Voters in Clark County approved an advisory question in 2004 to raise the sales tax by one-half of one cent to hire, train and equip more police officers. The 2005 Legislature authorized an increase of only one-quarter of one percent.

Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie sought permission from this Legislature to boost the remaining one-quarter of a percent this July.

But Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said the Legislature might increase the sales tax because of its financial troubles. Coffin, chairman of the committee, said he didn’t want to see fragments of the sales tax becoming effective at the same time.

The sales tax, Coffin said, should be left to the Legislature.

Gillespie realized the financial troubles of the state and said he was in no position to demand anything. This schedule, he said would permit him to hire more officers in January 2012 and then in January 2014.

With the revenue from the tax already received, Metro will have hired its 600th officer in June and crime has dropped 27 percent.

Any increase in the tax must also be approved by the Clark County Commission.

Mayor Montandon’s statement raised the ire of Southern Nevada lawmakers.

Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, described Montandon’s plan as a “yahoo thing” and said he was “throwing up a brick wall” to help his campaign for governor next year.

Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, criticized the statements of Montandon and suggested in jest that North Las Vegas be carved out of revenue pie for new police officers.

Care said he voted against the tax four years ago but there has been a case made that crime has decrease. But he added, “I’m in no hurry to move.”

Coffin called comments by the mayor “rash statements.”

Three Republican senators from Northern Nevada – Randolph Townsend of Reno, Mike McGinness of Fallon and Maurice Washington of Sparks — said they favor giving the sheriff the full one-quarter of one cent now.

“It’s a local issue,” Townsend said.

But the Southern Nevada lawmakers favored delaying the tax.

The vote to approve the bill with the delays was 6-1 with Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, against Senate Bill 202 which now goes to the full Senate. Carlton said, “It is not a good time to do this.”

Tom Roberts, a lobbyist for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the bill still has a long way to go before getting final passage.

The measure had to get out of committee by the deadline of Friday. Coffin said he tried to get an exemption but the leaders in the Senate and Assembly refused to grant the waiver.