The city of Reno on Friday asked the Nevada Legislature for emergency measure that would allow cities to raise property taxes to address understaffed police and fire departments across the state.

The measure would allow cities outside of Clark County to raise property taxes by up to 0.2 percent with voter approval, according to a release from the city.

The city's press release claims the Reno Police Department is staffed at 1991 levels and the Reno Fire Department is staffed at 2001 levels.

“I have said for years that our community needs more resources for police and fire services. This bill gives us the opportunity to make the case directly to our constituents, and allow their voices to be heard in a transparent and democratic process,” Mayor Hillary Schieve said. “I urge the legislature to pass the measure.”

Local governments in Nevada are primarily financed through a depreciating property tax, which per state law is capped on how much it can be raised.

The city's proposal would allow cities to raise taxes outside this cap with voter approval. Measures included in the proposal guarantee the new tax funds would go to the provisioning of new police and fire personnel.

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Sam Gross is a breaking news reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal who covers wildfires, emergencies and more. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.