Brothels in Nye County are going to see higher licensing fees and brothel owner Dennis Hof isn’t happy about it.
Three of Hof’s seven Nevada brothels are in Nye County. The Nye County Commission voted to increase fees by 25 percent.
Hof said he won’t pass that increase onto his customers. But he said it’s unfair, given that other businesses in the county aren’t seeing similar increases.
However, Dan Schinhofen, Nye County Commission chairman, says brothels are not like other businesses.
“It’s a lot more intensive to get a brothel license than a tavern license,” he said, "But comparing a bar license to a brothel license is like comparing apples to rocks. It’s not a fair comparison.”
Schinhofen argued that the fee increases are needed because they hadn’t been reconsidered for three decades. Meanwhile, the cost of health and background checks have increased.
“It does cost the county which is the citizens here," he said, "It costs us money to keep these places safe, keep them under control.”
Besides raising the fees, the resolution also instituted more checks of the brothels and the people working there. Schinhofen said the increased fees will go toward those inspections.
He also said work card fees for the women working in Nye County brothels will rise from $125 to $150. Fees, he said, are used fund veteran services in the county.
Schinhofen said the Nye County Commission is also looking at increasing fees for other businesses.
Dan Schinhofen, chairman, Nye County Commission; Dennis Hof, brothel owner
