IMPAC Votes to Endorse Henderson Question Number 1…and Henderson Question Number 1!
This article is written by Mary Beth Hartleb, J.D., SPHR, CPC, CEO and Founder of Prism HR Consulting, LLC, and Chair of Henderson Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (IMPAC).
This November, Henderson voters will have two Henderson Question Number 1s on their ballot: Henderson Fire Question 1 and Henderson Libraries Question 1. Both ballot measures are requesting an increase in property taxes to help fund vital resources to our growing city.
Henderson Fire Question 1 is asking voters to approve a property tax increase of six cents ($0.06) per $100 of assessed value, which is an estimated increase of $21.00 per year in property tax for every $100,000 of your home, or approximately $100 a year for the average Henderson homeowner. Henderson Fire Department (HFD) is a multiple accredited, Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1, award winning fire department which has been a leader in the industry for years. With Henderson’s population growing exponentially, it is now struggling to maintain their performance benchmarks. Since 2019, the number of incidents managed by the department has risen by 23%, and meeting the National Fire Protection Agency’s recommendation of responding to an emergency in under 6 minutes and 30 seconds is becoming more difficult to achieve. The ballot measure will authorize up to $27.5 million in general obligation bonds to finance the construction and improvement of fire department facilities. This includes building new fire stations in areas of Henderson they are needed and modernizing existing ones, as well as acquiring new equipment and emergency response vehicles. Having more stations and equipment will also allow the department to hire more firefighters.
While ensuring the safety of our families and employees is one of the primary reasons IMPAC has voted to support this initiative, this can also affect your insurance premiums. Having an ISO Class 1 rating, like Henderson does, may save businesses and homeowners money on their insurance costs.
The Henderson Libraries Question 1 is also asking voters to approve an increase in property tax of two cents ($0.02) per $100 of assessed value. For an average Henderson homeowner, this would equal an increase of $35.00 or less. Henderson Libraries is not a department of the City of Henderson and is its own district, thus needs its own funding sources. Henderson Libraries currently relies on ad valorem (property tax) revenue for funding but have struggled to meet and exceed pre-recession (2008) revenue while serving a much larger population. Some ways the additional revenue would be utilized is building a full-size facility in West Henderson, expanding electronic resources and programing, longer hours, and upgrading and renovating existing facilities.
Libraries offer many benefits to our community and the local business industry. Having resources and facilities like Henderson Libraries is useful in persuading companies, their employees, and their employee’s families to move to Henderson. In addition, Henderson Libraries provide free resources to the small business community including Employ NV Career Hubs, online classes, public computers and printing, and Wi-Fi hotspots, just to name a few.
Property taxes in Henderson are currently $0.7708 for every $100 assessed. If both initiatives pass, property taxes will increase to approximately $0.85 per $100 of assessed value, still well under our neighboring cities of Las Vegas ($1.06) and North Las Vegas ($1.16). The IMPAC Board takes endorsing property tax increases seriously and we recognize Henderson’s tax rates are one of the reasons the city is so business friendly. We want to keep it that way while also investing in areas of our city that need improvement as we continue to grow. Henderson is considered one of the best cities in the nation, with our low crime rate, access to top-of-the-line public facilities, and a business friendly tax environment. We believe supporting these ballot initiatives will continue to help the City of Henderson thrive. Vote YES on Henderson Fire Question 1 and Henderson Libraries Question 1!
