Sheriff urges durable fix for deputy staffing as commission weighs public-safety charter changes

Sheriff John Horch told the Clark County Charter Review Commission on March 18 that Clark County’s patrol staffing has fallen behind population growth and that the county needs a durable mechanism to maintain staffing levels.

"For the last 20, 25 years, our staffing at the sheriff's office, patrol staffing, especially uniformed deputies, has been decreasing," Horch said, arguing that a temporary increase without a long-term plan would not solve the problem.

Horch testified during the commission's meeting that he "does support something along these lines" if another solution cannot be found, but he urged caution and ongoing work with the county council and county management to design an approach that avoids inflexibility and unintended budgetary consequences.

The sheriff's remarks followed a public comment from Bradley Brown, who called in to urge support for amendment 26-12 ("Prioritize public safety") instead of amendment 26-26. Brown warned that 26-26 "presents significant concerns due to its unexplored and potentially unintended consequences," and argued that embedding a fixed ratio or funding requirement in the charter could constrain expert budgeting during economic shocks.

"My understanding is that its intent is to use the charter's authority to advise executive and legislative leaders to prioritize public safety when deliberating the county budget," Brown said, adding that a fixed percentage could be risky in a downturn.

Commissioners focused questions on how to measure staffing and on fiscal impacts. Commissioner LeBrant noted that Vancouver's pending annexation could affect staffing ratios, and Horch said annexations are typically planned over several years and handled through contracting and transition processes. When asked about costs, Horch estimated the first-year per-deputy cost in rough terms and said ongoing annual costs decline after the initial equipment and vehicle purchase; he emphasized those figures were estimates and offered to provide supporting data to commissioners.

The commission is concurrently considering two different public-safety proposals. Amendment 26-12, sponsored by Commissioner Silliman, qualified for a second reading (7 affirmative votes reported). Commissioner Donnelly’s 26-26, which would set a benchmark tied to an 85%-of-state-average target over several years, also qualified for a second reading (8 votes reported). Commissioners and staff flagged opportunities to combine, reconcile or refine language before any ballot measure would be finalized.

What happens next: Both amendments advanced to second reading, where sponsors and staff are expected to provide more precise language, fiscal estimates and answers to legal and implementation questions. The sheriff offered to provide data and meet with commissioners and auditor staff to ground any proposed targets in operational realities.