The Clark County Council will gauge voter input before sending a potential multimillion-dollar jail expansion and renovation proposal to the ballot.
At a work session on Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Clark County Council heard a presentation from Jail Services Chief David Shook on a three-phase market research plan that would gauge voter sentiment and help shape what an eventual ballot measure could look like.
Shook said the county must first focus on educating residents about the aging jail and its limitations. He added that the surveys would show “where those priorities fall into our community.”
“We're just gathering facts and details, right? And so the purpose of this market study is to really gather those details,” Shook said.
The proposed research would cost approximately $120,000 and include three steps: a baseline survey of 600 voters, in-person focus groups with undecided voters, and a follow-up survey to measure changes in opinion before the ballot decision.
“This is really going to be the meat and the potatoes on how do we then move forward with our messaging,” Shook said.
The council previously directed county staff in February to bring back funding options for a remodel and expansion estimated to cost $471.5 million. The project would add approximately 192 general population beds and around 250 specialized beds for medical and mental health needs, along with renovations to the existing facility. A more modest renovation without expansion is estimated to carry a price tag of $330 million. County officials reported that the current jail capacity was 491 beds as of February.
The county is currently adding 56 minimum security beds in 2025 and 64 medium-security beds in 2026, respectively, through two separate expansion projects. Based on previous estimates, the county’s goal is to exceed 850 to alleviate overcrowding.
Councilor Sue Marshall emphasized the scale of the project.
“I think you're correct in describing it as a multi-generational investment,” Marshall said. “So I think this is a critical piece of it to help us be successful.”
Shook said residents often don’t realize the age and constraints of the current jail.
“When I often talk to the public, they often don't know anything about the jail. They don't know how old it is, any of the issues that we experience, how that affects law enforcement … and the jail bed space that we currently have,” he said.
Councilor Glen Yung said the surveys would provide more than a simple temperature check of public opinion.
“The purpose is so that we can understand and potentially tailor what we do and how we do it to where the voter would be more supportive of it,” Yung said. “The only other way for us to get this information would be to put it on the ballot and potentially fail, which would cost taxpayers significantly more.”
He added that results could also guide what size bond the county ultimately asks voters to support.
Shook told the council the first survey could launch within weeks once the contract with a research firm is finalized. A complete research cycle would take approximately six to seven months, with Phase 2 results expected by January 2026. Council is expected to decide by the second quarter of 2026 whether to put a measure before voters.
“This is such a huge project,” Shook said. “This is critically important for our community.”
