Public safety sales tax to fund camera program for sheriff’s office is likely to pass

Posted

An effort to impose a .1% sales tax to fund a camera program for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office is likely to pass as of the latest August primary election results.

As of Thursday, Aug. 4 the measure received about 59.9% of votes in support of the tax. The measure would fund a body-worn and dash-mounted camera program for sheriff’s deputies more than a year after the program was first approved by the Clark County Council.

The tax increase is estimated to bring in $12 million of additional funding, which will be collected annually. If approved, 60% of the tax’s revenues will go to the county, while 40% is earmarked for cities on a per-capita basis.

Cities are allowed to decide how to utilize the funding, though it must go toward public safety. It, however, wouldn’t preclude a city from diverting existing revenues it currently puts toward public safety toward other expenses.

After the initial counts of ballots appeared to show the measure will pass, Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins said he is “very appreciative of the great response” from county voters. 

“I know it is a tough time to be asking but a time when it is needed more than ever,” Atkins said in an email. “The sheriff’s office, county manager, deputy county manager and county council have all been working hand in hand to make this happen and I give them all thanks.”



In April of 2021, the county council decided to move forward with the body-worn camera program. That year, the county ran a similar ballot measure for a sales tax intended to fund the program, but it was through a roundabout way that involved a tax that was directly intended to provide funding for the jail. Only about 42% of voters were in approval of that November measure.

In his email, Atkins said his office has done “quite a bit of prep work over the last few years” to implement the camera program. He said more recently, other law enforcement agencies have done a “tremendous” amount of research and other work, “to help us move forward with a product that is uniform throughout the county.”

“Again, I am very thankful with what appears to be a passing of this much needed proposition,” Atkins said.

The sales tax is not exclusive to the body camera program, and could benefit the sheriff’s department, which has raised concerns over operational issues this year. In March, Atkins announced his office would cut its responses to certain lower-level offenses like thefts if there is no information on the suspect immediately available. 

During the Clark County Council’s Aug. 3 “council time,” council chair Karen Bowerman brought up the need to detail how the funds will be used, she said in an email. Bowerman said the council will discuss its next steps on Aug. 17.