County Charter Review Commission considers tax issue

Clark County’s Charter Review Commission voted Tuesday to further study several amendments that could end up on the November general election ballot, including one that would require a supermajority vote of the county council to raise taxes. Currently, a simple majority — three out of five county councilors — can approve tax changes. The amendment would require a vote of four of the five councilors. “We have to recognize this does not exist in a vacuum. The majority party in Olympia continues to pursue tax increases, create new taxes as well as adopt policies that raise the cost of living and strain the state’s economy,” said Commissioner John Jay, who proposed the amendment. He said supermajority votes are a common requirement for federal, state and local governments and exist to ensure that a simple majority cannot override the rights or interests of a minority. The charter review commission voted 8-7 to advance the amendment to a study committee. Commissioner Janet Landesberg asked Jay to look into the council’s voting record and bring it back to the commission for further discussion. Late last year, the county council approved increases in sales tax, EMS tax and property tax — all by either a supermajority or unanimous vote. “Have you looked at the Clark County’s council for the last 10 or 20 years, how many tax increases were voted by three versus four?” Landesberg asked. “What are we fixing if it hasn’t been a problem?” County council Chair Sue Marshall, who addressed the commission early in Tuesday’s meeting, urged caution in putting forward amendments that could make the council less effective. Not taking the 1 percent tax increase allowed by state law for the past several years has squeezed the county’s budget, Marshall said, which now has both a structural and operational deficit. “There are very few options we have for raising revenue. There’s property tax and sales tax, and both of those are down,” she said. “I would be cautious that you’re really hamstringing the county and our ability to be flexible in raising money.” Marshall also asked the commissioners to consider the fiscal impacts of the amendments. One example, she said, was an amendment being studied that requires a land-supply and construction-cost analysis for any proposed land-use or construction code changes. Marshall said the Development and Engineering Advisory Board already reviews code changes and would share any concerns with the council. “There may be a financial impact if there’s additional staff required, and I’m not sure if it would add a delay to permitting,” Marshall said. In all, charter review commissioners have proposed 40 charter amendments. Several have been pushed back to 2027 for consideration, including one amendment that would raise county councilor salaries from $84,276 to $173,310 annually. The amendment was moved to 2027 after some on the commission questioned whether Commissioners Brad Benton and Peter Silliman, who are running for county council in the November election, should be able to vote on the matter. Two amendments addressing the Clark County Council’s ability to remove appointed board and commission members have been moved to 2027. Both amendments were in response to the council’s February 2025 decision to remove Councilor Michelle Belkot from C-Tran’s board. More than 20 proposed amendments remain active; several await a second reading, while others have been sent to committee for further study. The deadline for measures to be placed on the November general election ballot is Aug. 4.

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