The wages of sin may go up in Nye County.

County Commissioner Butch Borasky urged the board Tuesday to increase fees for brothel, gaming and liquor license applications.

"My understanding is nothing has been touched in at least 10 years. I think we should be looking at a 3 percent a year (increase), something to cover costs that keep going up," Borasky said.

Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos wanted information on where the extra fees would be earmarked. Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said his department could use the extra money.

"We spend an inordinate amount of time with these background investigations," DeMeo said adding, "We spend a lot more amount of time with some liquor establishments maintaining the peace. We have sometimes four or five deputies walking around."

Some brothel license applicants require extensive investigation, DeMeo said, discussing what he termed the "most privileged license in the county."

County commissioners rejected an applicant for a license to operate the Chicken Ranch brothel June 19 and Lt. Jack Grimauld told commissioners he spent 125 hours on that investigation.

Applicants for a liquor license already pay a $500 investigative fee, then $100 quarterly fees for package or retail liquor sales. Clark County charges $350 for the investigation fee, but another $90 background fee, $145 for filing, processing and application fees, and quarterly fees range from $150 for retail liquor sales to $450 for package liquor sales.

Lyon County charges a $1,000 fee for a new liquor license, according to statistics provided by Borasky, and annual fees based on number of employees ranging from $100 to $600. Humboldt County charges a fee and a percentage of gross receipts.

Nye County brothels pay $5,000 for an investigation fee for their license, a $1,000 fee for each owner or manager that wants to be on the license, and a $62.50 registration fee for each prostitute. In addition, brothels pay a quarterly fee of $1,875 if they have five prostitutes or less, $3,500 for six to 10 prostitutes, $7,500 for 11 to 25 working girls or $37,500 if they employ 26 or more prostitutes.

Lyon County charges similar investigation fees for brothels, but bases quarterly fees on the number of rooms, with fees ranging from $18,000 for one to 20 rooms, $21,000 for 21 to 40 rooms and $24,000 for 41 or more rooms.

Assistant Sheriff Johanna Cody, who processes license for the office, urged commissioners: "If you raise the registration fees for the employees at the brothel, please do not include 50 cents ... When you get 194 of those (applications) at one time, you're buried in quarters."

Commissioner Joni Eastley said the existing ordinances mandate collection and appropriation of the fees.

When it comes to gaming licenses, a set $150 quarterly fee is applied for most card games and sports books, $30 for a slot machine license. That's almost identical to Clark and Washoe County procedures, but Clark County casino owners have to also pay fees for background investigations and processing their applications.

The last completed audit report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, showed Nye County collected $103,395 in the general fund from gaming licenses and $36,630 from liquor licenses. Brothel license fees go to the ambulance fund. Those fees amounted to $192,875 last year.

In a related matter, commissioners approved Jonathan Rudolph Klempa as the new chief operations officer for Sheri's Ranch and Gloria Jean Mandarino as a business manager. The former chief operating officer of Sheri's was J.P. Martin, who remains a key company figure.