CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada lawmakers are now considering whether the More Cops sales tax initiative should be revised to account for the economy. Voters approved the quarter cent increase in 2005 to pay for additional police officers.
But budget reductions in the Las Vegas valley have put all local police out of compliance with the letter of the law.
Tuesday's hearing before the Assembly Taxation Committee took on two topics, but only one of them was on the agenda. The first was a bill to revise the More Cops initiative to allow for reductions in police spending during tough economic times.
The second was an issue the 8 News NOW I-Team first exposed nearly two years ago: the City of North Las Vegas' mismanagement of its More Cops money.
"It's really a sore spot for North Las Vegas residents who have been paying for a long time and have no officers in their neighborhoods," said Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick.
Democratic Assemblywoman Kirkpatrick represents North Las Vegas and during her testimony briefed lawmakers on the history of the sales tax initiative.
In 2008, according to city records, the former city manager shifted 32 police officers out of the general fund and into the More Cops fund, instead of hiring additional police. That, according to a recent decision by the Nevada Attorney General, is a violation of the law that governs More Cops spending.
Lawmakers learned Tuesday those 32 officers continue to be funded by the More Cops sales tax, at a cost of $10 million over the last three years.
"Today, there's only 68 officers in the More Cops. In terms of if we were to back out the 32 officers that were transferred, then you could see how many officers were originally hired under the More Cops initiative," said Al Noyola with the City of North Las Vegas.
To put that figure into perspective, the City of Henderson testified it hired 72 officers using More Cops money. Las Vegas police added 560 new officers.
The bill introduced Tuesday would put oversight of More Cops spending under the Department of Taxation as a way to prevent future abuse.
