Vote to Ban Brothels in Nevada's Lyon County Is Shot Down

YERINGTON, Nev. — Lyon County voters yesterday defeated an advisory question that would have likely rescinded the county’s brothel ordinance.

Voters in the Northern Nevada county, which spans more than 2,000 square miles but only contains 52,000 people voted 16,206 to 3,916 to shoot down the ballot question.

Lyon County Question 1 asked: "Shall the Lyon County Board of Commissioners rescind Title 3, Chapter 5, the Lyon County Brothel Ordinance, in order to end brothels and legalized prostitution in Lyon County, Nevada?"

Lyon County has four brothels within its jurisdiction — Sagebrush Ranch, Kit Kat Guest Ranch, Love Ranch and Moonlite Bunny Ranch — all now operated by Madam Suzette Cole, the former confidant to Dennis Hof, who formerly owned the properties but passed away last month.

Hof also won his election to the state Assembly for a seat in Southern Nevada in Nye County posthumously.

Election returns show Hof, a Republican, piled up 68.2 percent of the vote defeating democratic opponent Lesia Romanov, who had 31 percent.

The Assembly district covers three counties but most of the population resides in Nye County.

Now, the county will decide on a Republican replacement for Hof’s seat.

Hof died last month at Love Ranch South, one of his brothels located in Nye County’s Pahrump.

Cole, who worked for Hof for 30 years, is believed to be inheriting Hof’s brothels and other property estimated to be worth $55 million. Hof’s last will and testament, however, has been contested by distant relatives.

Hof was laid to rest in a private ceremony on Monday.