County’s proposal to boost Metro Police funding by $1 million is stalled

By Jackie Valley

Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | 2 a.m.

The Clark County Commission's proposal to give Metro Police an additional $1 million has fizzled for now.

The extra six-figure sum — above and beyond the county's budgeted contribution to the police department — would have gone toward hiring more officers, but the proposal came with a caveat: The city of Las Vegas needed to contribute another $600,000, per the department's funding formula.

The total budget augmentation, in that case, would be roughly $1.6 million. That amount would have covered the cost of hiring one sergeant, two detectives and 10 officers as part of a "neighborhood engagement team" designed to combat violent crime.

Last month, the Las Vegas City Council allocated an extra $440,000 to the police department to fund an additional neighborhood engagement team during the summer months. The team, however, is temporary and based on overtime staffing.

That's what prompted the commission's $1 million proposal. Commissioners hailed their proposed contribution as a permanent means to enhance police staffing rather than a temporary fix.

It was another move in the ongoing verbal tug-of-war between the city and county. The two entities have been vying for the perception as being the bigger supporter of public safety.

City officials said they expect to be able to allocate an additional $160,000 by December, which, on top of the $440,000 contribution, would total the needed $600,000.The city intends to make this funding ongoing, but the allocation would need to go through the budgeting process next year, officials said.

So, without a guaranteed commitment from the city, the county didn't move forward with its proposal.

"Take the message back that without the city's contribution, we can't contribute the million dollars," Commissioner Steve Sisolak told a Metro representative during a meeting Tuesday.

After the commission meeting, Rich Hoggan, the police department's chief financial officer, said he expects the funding discussion to resurface in the spring when the entities start doing their budgets again.

The new fiscal year for both the county and city began Friday and will run through June 30, 2017.