The Clark County Fiscal Court approved the second reading of the fiscal year 2026 budget Tuesday after several magistrates expressed concern about rising expenditures and uncertain carryover estimates.

The court’s vote followed more than an hour of debate in which multiple members warned that spending has outpaced revenues and urged stricter fiscal controls. One magistrate told colleagues, “we gotta quit spending,” describing the county’s monthly expenditures as “out of control.”

The budget does not change the county’s total projected receipts and expenditures but moves money between line items; officials said several previously planned capital items were removed to balance the plan on paper. Judge executive and several magistrates said balancing the budget now avoids a deadlock that could have left the county without an approved plan required by state law.

Magistrates raised specific concerns about recurring operating costs, the size of departmental carryovers and the impact on capital projects. Road funding and equipment costs were prominent in the discussion; magistrates noted a roughly $521,000 road fund carryover and debated whether to use those dollars for road projects or to pay down existing equipment debt.

No new revenue measures were adopted during the meeting. Several magistrates proposed looking at longer-term options — including reexamining tax rates, centralized purchasing and targeted financing for large capital needs — and asked county staff to return with concrete proposals. The judge suggested holding a follow-up discussion before the fall to set priorities for road projects and other capital outlays.

The court approved the budget on the second reading; several members recorded reservations on accuracy of estimates and urged tighter procurement and spending oversight going forward.

Looking ahead, magistrates said they will revisit capital priorities, potential financing for large assets and department-level procurement practices as part of the FY27 planning cycle.