Lyon County board to consider question banning brothels

The Lyon County Board of Commissioners will consider Thursday placing an advisory question on the ballot in the November election that would end legalized prostitution in Lyon County.

The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Lyon County Administrative Complex, 27 S. Main Street, Yerington.

The agenda states an advisory question for the 2018 general election in November would ask the voters to determine whether or not Title 5 Chapter 3 should be rescinded in order to end legalized prostitution in Lyon County. The question would allow voters to decide if they want or don’t want legal brothels in Lyon County.

A 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.

But the petition to place a referendum would mean the Board of Commissioners would have to change the ordinance to address public health and safety issues. The board would also have to either fund a special election or wait until the next general election.

The issue has been raised since the petition was filed with the Lyon County Clerk on April 4. Commissioner Bob Hastings requested the item to be placed on the agenda at the May 3 board meeting to facilitate discussion and action to provide the voters with a better understood question.

The agenda item should be taken up relatively early in the meeting.

There are four brothels in the county owned by state legislative candidate Dennis Hof all located in Mound House just east of Carson City.