Lyon County leaders to decide whether legal brothel question should go to voters
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 05/15/2018 - 6:15pm
Lyon County commissioners will be asked this week to take action on a plan that would put a question on the ballot that asks voters whether or not prostitution should remain legalized in the county.
Agenda item 18A will go before Lyon County leaders Thursday. It asks for action on the following: "To provide staff with direction to develop an advisory question for the 2018 general election asking the voters to determine whether or not Title 5 Chapter 3 should be rescinded in order to end legalized prostitution in Lyon County."
County Manager Jeff Page explained this would be an advisory question for the November 2018 election, a question that allows voters decide if they want or don’t want legal brothels in Lyon County.
The current petition being circulated to place a referendum on the November Ballot either eliminates the brothel ordinance or requires a vote of the people to change the ordinance. This is problematic in the event the Board of Commissioners needs to change the ordinance to address public health and safety issues, Page explained. The Board would have to either fund a special election or wait until the next general election.
This issue has been raised since the petition was filed with the Lyon County Clerk on April 4. Commissioner Bob Hastings requested this item at the May 3 Board of Commissioners meeting to facilitate discussion and action to provide the voters with a better understood question.
If the Board approves this agenda item staff will begin the process to place an advisory question on the November 2018 ballot. The current County Code regulating brothels can be found here. The agenda and supporting material for the May 17, 2018 Board of Commissioners meeting can be found here.
