Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015 | 11:45 a.m.
The controversial More Cops sales tax increase is back on the Clark County Commission’s radar less than a week after the increase’s biggest supporter — Tom Collins — abruptly resigned from the board.
The commission is scheduled to introduce a revised version of the proposal at its Tuesday meeting and could vote on it as soon as Sept. 1.
The new proposal would raise the countywide sales tax by an extra half cent for every dollar spent. If the hike is approved, the tax rate would increase from 8.1 percent to 8.15 percent, with the new revenues earmarked to hire more officers at Metro Police and the Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Mesquite police departments.
The increase would generate about $19.4 million for county police departments, including $14.6 million for Metro.
The proposed increase is significantly smaller than the increase authorized by the Legislature in 2013.
A deadlocked commission failed to pass the tax several times in 2013 and 2014, with some commissioners supporting the a larger increase, some supporting a smaller increase and some supporting no increase at all.
At the commission, a tax increase require a supermajority of five votes out of seven to pass.
Next month’s vote will feature a new group of commissioners, who could change the outcome.
Tom Collins, who resigned from the commission Monday citing “family matters”, was the leading proponent in favor of authorizing the larger tax increase.
Gov. Brian Sandoval is expected to appoint a replacement for Collins by Sept. 1. Democratic Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, who played a key role in passing Sandoval’s more than $1.3 billion tax passage this year, is rumored to be a leading candidate.
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