The Clark County Council voted Thursday, July 23, to place two public safety measures on the November 2026 general election ballot.
The measures include a general obligation bond and a levy lid lift. The bond measure would fund public safety infrastructure projects, while the levy lid lift would increase funding available for public safety operations and criminal justice services, according to a Clark County news release.
If approved by voters, the bond measure would authorize the county to issue up to $366.2 million in general obligation bonds for public safety infrastructure projects, including remodeling and expanding the Clark County Jail, adding courtrooms and constructing a new Sheriff’s Office headquarters.
The levy lid lift measure would increase the county’s tax levy rate to $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in 2027. The increase would provide funding for public safety positions, including correction deputies, sheriff’s deputies, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office staff and other criminal justice employees. The proposed rate is about 4.4 cents higher per $1,000 of assessed value than the 2026 levy rate.
County officials said the measures are intended to address public safety needs identified through reviews of county facilities and services, including updates needed at the Clark County Jail, which was built in the 1980s.
The county said it will provide additional information about the proposed measures for voters in the coming weeks at clark.wa.gov.
