As a North Las Vegas and Nevada resident for more than 20 years, voting season brings out all kinds of commercials and news articles. We, as registered voters, should inform ourselves so we can vote on our beliefs. I wanted to know more about Fund 287.

Fund 287, created in 1997, uses money from a property tax for the North Las Vegas Police Department, Community Corrections Center and Animal Protection Services. The current tax went into effect in 1996 after North Las Vegas residents voted to approve the property tax to fund public safety. The tax will expire June 30, 2027.

In 1997, the city’s approximate population was 88,600. The North Las Vegas Police Department had 217 commissioned police officers and 149 civilian personnel for a total staff of 366. Currently, the city’ population is 283,700. The North Las Vegas Police Department has 300 commissioned police officers and 120 civilian personnel. That brings the total staff to 420. This does not include the open positions for which the department is currently recruiting that will help staff a new police station scheduled to open next month.

According to the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics there are 1.1 police officers per 1,000 residents. The national average is 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents. The International Association of Chiefs of Police recommends 3.4 officers for every 1,000 residents, according to the police department’s public information officer.

I visited crimemapping.com and searched from Jan. 1, 2024, to April 9, 2024. It listed crime reports: 97 disturbing peace, 12 assault, 11 burglary, nine weapons, seven sex crimes, five DUI, four motor vehicle thefts, four vandalism, three robbery, one larceny and one vehicle break-in/theft. That’s a total of 154 reports generated in around three months. Is it a lot? Is it low? Or is it normal? No crime would be the best, but that’s not happening. You have to ask yourself how safe do you feel?

The actual impact of voting yes on ballot Question 2 is that North Las Vegas property owners will continue to pay the current special property tax rate, which is approximately $0.20 per $100 of assessed valuation. For the owner of a new $100,000 home, the estimated cost would be up to $70 per year.

If voters vote against the city’s extension of the property tax, it is unlikely that property owners’ tax payments will be reduced because of tax abatements and tax caps on property. Instead, other entities that collect taxes from property owners will receive a higher share of the property taxes that those other entities levy. I would rather it continue to go specifically to where it’s going now as opposed to it going to other entities.

The greater Las Vegas Area population is more than 2 million. With cities so close to North Las Vegas multiple police agencies must work together to address crime calls. For that reason, I believe the department should meet average numbers.

 I invite everyone who is voting to visit questions1and2.org to get any questions you have answered or to reach out to the North Las Vegas Police Department’s public information officer. The city budget is also available for public viewing.

If you know more, please share so all of the voter base can be more educated.

Michael Fabbiani is a resident of North Las Vegas.

The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].