Statement from Governor Lombardo on Senate Bill 451

CARSON CITY, NV - On May 21, 2025, Governor Joe Lombardo received Senate Bill 451 (SB451) from the Nevada State Legislature, and he signed it into law.

“I signed Senate Bill 451 because it maintains essential funding for police officers in Southern Nevada,” said Governor Joe Lombardo. “Without this legislation, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) would lose nearly 25% of its police force, which would be an untenable loss for law enforcement and deeply detrimental to the safety of Clark County and its millions of residents and visitors. SB451 is not a new tax or a tax increase, and the extension of this voter-approved measure is critical for ongoing public safety efforts in Southern Nevada.”

 Background:
• Taxpayers will not see an increase to their property tax bill as a result of SB451.

• The current revenue supports approximately 860 police officer positions (which represents 25% of current authorized police force).

• To be clear, the fundamental question presented by SB451 is whether the tax dollars in question should continue to support 860 police officers or whether those same dollars should become windfall revenue for other government entities. The Governor believes the answer to this question is clear: these dollars should ensure that public safety in Southern Nevada is not compromised.

• Nevada Revised Statutes limits annual increases to property taxes to no more than 3% for residential properties and no more than 8% for commercial properties. The vast majority of properties are taxed well below the value of their property due to these partial tax abatements. As a result, 92% of taxpayers currently receive a discount to their annual tax bill. Discontinuing the current levy will reduce the amount of taxes that are abated but not the amount of taxes that are actually paid for the vast majority of taxpayers in Clark County.