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Storey County moves to streamline brothel licensing and reduce select fees
Summary
The commission approved a business impact statement and adopted the first reading of an ordinance to remove some brothel fees, set an annual business fee of $25, and raise reported loan thresholds to $200,000; commissioners discussed potential market effects and zoning limits.
Storey County commissioners on March 17 approved a business impact statement and adopted the first reading of Bill 149 (Ordinance 26‑337), which proposes several amendments to Chapter 5.16 related to brothel licensing.
The changes described by staff would: reduce the annual brothel license fee from $86,000 to $0 (the business impact statement approval was required to post the change), set each licensed operator’s annual business license fee at $25 in addition to other fees, eliminate a monthly licensing requirement, raise the loan‑reporting threshold to the sheriff’s office from $25,000 to $200,000, and move authority to set some fees from resolution to ordinance.
Commissioners asked whether removing or lowering fees might spur new brothels; staff and the county manager said zoning and the county code limit total brothels (staff cited a county code cap of five and location restrictions), and that the $25,000 threshold was outdated in light of inflation and common business loans. Commissioner Mitchell expressed concern about perception and possible market interest but said he supported equitable treatment among business types. The motion to approve the business impact statement and the first reading passed unanimously.
Next steps: The business impact statement will be posted for the required period before a second reading and formal adoption of the ordinance; background‑investigation fees and other enforcement fees will remain in effect.
