The Clark County Council on Wednesday, March 25, signaled support for moving forward with a state grant application to boost local law enforcement staffing and services, as part of a broader funding strategy that includes a previously approved councilmatic sales tax dedicated to local public safety.
County Manager Kathleen Otto opened the discussion by outlining how the effort connects to recent council action and state legislation aimed at expanding public safety resources.
“This is a kind reminder for council that the legislature did pass… House Bill 2015 that provided two additional funding sources for law enforcement or public safety in our community,” she said. “One was the grants, and then there was the 0.1% (sales tax increase).”
On Aug. 5 last year, the council adopted a councilmanic 0.1% sales and use tax for criminal justice purposes, as authorized by House Bill 2015. Otto said the county has already taken steps to implement the tax portion and is now moving into the grant phase, with early signals from the state indicating the county is on track.
“The grant has been applied for, and we did receive a verbal confirmation yesterday that we are in full compliance, but we will not be receiving that in writing for the next couple of weeks,” she said.
She added that the sales tax is expected to take effect by April 1 under previously approved resolutions.
The grant program is backed by a $100 million statewide fund administered by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, with multiple application rounds planned through mid-2028.
County staff said the grant program, created under state law, is competitive and designed to help local agencies hire and retain officers, expand co-response teams and support training and outreach efforts.
As currently proposed, staff said the county would prioritize hiring five new sheriff’s deputies per year over a three-year period, with the grant covering up to 75% of salary and benefit costs during that time. The funding would also support one-time hiring and onboarding expenses, including training and equipment tied to those positions.
As of August last year, CCSO operated with 0.64 deputies per 1,000 residents. The state average for counties is 1.24 deputies per 1,000 residents, while the national average is 2.8 deputies per 1,000 residents, according to CCSO.
Staff explained that grant funding is also intended to help bridge the gap as the new sales tax revenue accumulates.
Officials said the strategy allows the county to begin hiring sooner rather than waiting for the full build-up of sales tax revenue, effectively using the grant as a front-end funding tool for positions already planned under the council-approved tax.
Councilmembers voiced strong support for the effort during the discussion.
“Just wanted to say I’m fully supportive of this… Super excited about that,” Councilmember Glen Yung said.
Questions from council members also touched on how much funding the county could realistically receive, given the program's competitive nature and the state's multiple planned application rounds.
Staff noted there are no strict caps on requests, though grant awards may be adjusted depending on demand and available funding.
By the end of the discussion, council members indicated unanimous support to move forward with an application. Final approval would return to the council at a later date if the county is selected for funding.
