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Nye County picks public-safety sales tax BDR to protect fire and sheriff funding
Summary
Commissioners voted to pursue a bill-draft request to preserve or extend the public-safety sales tax (PSST), citing roughly $5 million in annual PSST revenue split equally between fire and sheriff and a statutory sunset in 2027.
The Nye County Board of County Commissioners on June 18 unanimously selected a bill-draft request (BDR) to seek legislative action to preserve the county's public-safety sales tax (PSST), an important local revenue source for fire, sheriff and emergency services. Commissioners said the item is their top legislative priority because the PSST has a built-in sunset in fiscal 2027.
County public safety leaders described PSST as a "game changer." Sheriff Joe McGill and Fire Chief Scott Lewis told the board PSST funding paid for capital equipment, expanded staffing options, and projects that would otherwise be unfunded. The comptroller told the board the county expects about $5,000,000 in PSST revenue annually, split roughly 50/50 between fire and the sheriff's office (about $2.5 million each).
Mark Fiorentino, the county's lobbyist, and public speakers urged prioritizing the PSST BDR. Commissioners discussed several possible BDRs on the list and agreed that item number 6 — the PSST extension — best matched public-safety needs. The motion to submit BDR #6 passed without opposition.
Commissioners emphasized this is a state-law issue; they asked staff and the county's lobbyist to pursue the draft language and coordinate with the Nevada Association of Counties and legislative sponsors. The board said the intent is to preserve the revenue stream on which county public safety operations increasingly depend.
Next steps: staff will work with the county lobbyist to draft or support a BDR for the 2025 legislative session and seek support from NACO or other sponsors.
