For immediate press release: (Goldfield, NV) —- On Tuesday, February 20th, 2024, the Esmeralda County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to not update their brothel laws. Brothels were first legalized in Esmeralda in 1972 via Ordinance Number 124, which stipulated that brothels could only operate arbitrarily 5 miles away from “any dwelling”. Due to the ordinance, only one brothel operated in Esmeralda until 2004: the Cotton Tail. Shortly after 2004, the Cotton Tail abruptly closed and never re-opened, with the owners trying to sell the poorly maintained property for an absurd one million dollars. A Safer Nevada, a pro-brothel group, led by Russell Greer, advocated to move the zoning of brothels into the Goldfield Historic District. “Moving brothels into the Goldfield Historic District made perfect sense,” said Greer. “This would have put brothels right inside town, close to other amenities. Other towns, like Ely and Winnemucca, have this. Also, the district has over 100 unused buildings that could be converted into brothels.” Greer envisioned the Goldfield Hotel being converted into an adult entertainment resort: part hotel, part brothel. Not everyone saw this proposal as a good thing, though. Goldfield residents filled the County Courthouse to oppose the brothel zoning change. One woman spread false hysteria by saying brothels would traffic children if moved into town. The deputy sheriff complained the sheriff’s office doesn’t get any of the licensing fees money to process the brothel applications and suggested Esmeralda ban brothels outright. The three county commissioners opted to deny the motion and kept the 1972 ordinance in place. “I don’t see this as a loss,” Greer concludes. “This has only reinforced that the only way legalization will expand is at the ballot box because unfortunately, a county commission or a city council will always listen to the angry minority and never consider that there’s a silent majority.” A Safer Nevada is planning on collecting signatures this Spring for two ballot