Open Letter #17

OPEN LETTER #17 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #17.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Don’t Raise My Taxes !!!!!! -
I was bombarded by comments such as this about the Pahrump Tax Rate.  The comments started with “Don’t raise MY taxes” but after the discussion they all added some of the following: 1) …but repair my roads,  or 2) … keep the same level of sheriff’s deputies for my safety, or 3) … keep the same level of fire protection or ambulance service for my safety, or 4) … don’t mess with our parks because we want MORE, or 5) … lengthen the time of day and calendar year for the swimming pool, and the list goes on and on and on.  The Town Board will vote on the final budget on May 16^th.  However, the Town has nothing to do with the roads or the Sheriff’s office and, for those services, the citizens will need to need to look at the Nye County budget and discuss funding levels with their County Commissioners. 

Please remember that the Town of Pahrump is responsible for the Fire Department, the Swimming Pool, the Cemetery, and the Parks.  Please remember too that the Town Board has not granted employees (except where mandated by union contract) ANY pay increases for at least four years. 

I’ll try to stay with the Town Tax Rate since we (the Pahrump Town Board) voted on April 24^th to approve a tentative tax rate increase of $0.0487 (a little less than the equivalent of five cents) from 0.4308 to 0.4795, all of which is subject to the residential 3% tax cap legislation. 

Well, if the Town Board approves the budget, does that mean that MY taxes will go up a nickel based on the new rate 0.4795 or 48 cents per one-hundred dollars?  That depends on several variables. 

The state of Nevada has several formulas to compute taxes and I know that Mr. Michael Sullivan can explain it far better than I can.  What the 3% residential tax cap legislation means is that your actual tax payment can NOT be increased more than 3% over the prior year.  It could also result, as in my case, that your taxes might remain the same or you may see a decrease. 

Remember, these are ANNUAL taxes, not monthly.  Let me use MY personal 2012-2013 Tax Bill as an example.  I will compare that to my 2010-2011 Tax Bill.  Look at your own tax bill to understand this better.  As you see, MOST of your taxes are for the County or the School District, and only a minuscule part for the Town of Pahrump (Pahrump Town and Pahrump Pool).  For simplicity, look at the Taxing Agency / Rate / Tax Amount. 

Taxing Agency      Rate    2012-2013 Tax Amount             2010-2011 Tax Amount
CO GEN              0.9819                          418.02                               868.49
ROAD                  0.0050                              2.18                                   4.36
AG EXT               0.0150                              6.39                                  13.10
MED & GEN IND 0.0798                            27.66                                 58.50
DED CO MED      0.0202                              8.60                                 17.64
AUTO ACC INDG 0.0150                             6.39                                13.10
MUSEUM (County)0.0117                             4.99                                10.21
JUVENILE PROB 0.1000                            42.57                                  87.31
HEALTH CLINIC 0.0395                            16.81                                  34.49
CAP PROJECTS   0.0177                              7.53                                 15.46
SPEC CAP PROJ  0.0500                            21.28                                 43.66
911 EMERGENCY 0.0050                            2.13                                   4.37
YOUTH SERVICE  0.0060                            2.55                                   5.24
SCHOOL DIST      0.7500                          319.28                               654.85
SCHOOL DEBT    0.5850                          249.05                               510.78
STATE                  0.1700                            72.36                                148.43
PAHRUMP TOWN 0.4308                      153.53                                212.17
PAH LIB DIST (County)0.0781                   27.38                                  36.58
PAHRUMP POOL  0.0145                          5.48                                    8.56

State NV Water Tax                                         1.00                                   1.00
Landfill – Single                                            30.00                                  30.00
Nye Water Dist Tax                                         5.00                                    0.00

My total PAHRUMP ANNUAL Tax for 2012-2013 is $159.01 and my PAHRUMP Tax for 2010-2011 was $220.73 for a REDUCTION over this 2-year period of $61.72 per year.  As you can plainly see, the Town “tax rate” went UP and my taxes went DOWN.  My total NYE COUNTY (CO GEN & Road) ANNUAL Tax nearly doubles that of the Town for 2012-2013 and is $420.20.  The remainder of my taxes went to either the State of Nevada or the County of Nye.  I ask only that you look at your own tax bill instead of listening to complainers who have absolutely NO idea of what they are talking about.  Listen to the auditor who proclaims year after year that the Town of Pahrump is fiscally responsible. 

Look at the total amount of ANNUAL taxes you pay to the Town for Fire protection (and Ambulance), Parks, Swimming Pool, and the Cemetery.  If you feel you are paying too much, maybe you should NOT call for an ambulance if you get sick or the fire department if there is a fire.  And, by all means, don’t die and need the cemetery.  The Town does NOT collect the remainder of your other taxes because that is for the State of Nevada or the County of Nye and, even though we are over 80% of the County, we are obligated to support our county as well.  However, don’t blame the Town of Pahrump when evidence shows we are not the culprits many falsely complain about. 

Questions??  Feel free to contact me, Mr. Kohbarger or Mr. Sullivan if you have questions or comments about this Open Letter. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board
twaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #16

OPEN LETTER #16 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #16.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Welcome to 2013 -  If you’ve read the December Town Newsletter from the Town Manager (available at the Town’s webpage), you see the things that are being done by the Town Board and the Town Staff.  Yes, there is still a lot to do and we still look for citizen input as recommendations for other possible Town improvements. 

I am pleased to say that we have several residents who look at the positive side of our Town and recommend improvements instead of mere criticism about any suggestion of a change.  The rest of this Open Letter contains recommendations from a citizen.  I feel they are valid and should be shared.  She sent them to the Commissioners and the Town Board because some items would take Town & County working together.  Thanks Marna. 

FROM MARNA KRAUSE:

Below are several ideas to make our town look more attractive and to bring more tourists to Pahrump and all of Nye County.  If we can implement just a few of them both our town and county will benefit. 

Let's start with making Pahrump more attractive.  People are attracted to a quaint, cozy looking town:

1.  Flower barrels along the main corridors of Highways 160 and 372 and the Calvada Eye.  There are faux wooden barrels made of fiberglass with a 20 year warranty.  These barrels run $20-30 each.  In the past I have spoken to both Star Nursery and Home Depot locally about the barrels and flowers.  Both indicated an interest in substantial discounts and/or donation of partial needs.  Home Depot suggested planting some year round desert plants in each barrel with seasonal flowers filling in to decrease the cost of changing plants.  I know you are wondering how they would get watered.  We have 2 garden clubs in town that I know of.  Perhaps one of them would take this job on as a town project.  Perhaps some of the businesses the barrels are in front of would take responsibility for watering those on their site.  In tiny Panaca in Lincoln County I saw a town employee (or a resident) with a portable water tank behind her truck watering all the flower barrels.  There are also other groups that may want to take watering on: Rotary, Lions Club, 4-H, Kiwanis, Masons, etc, maybe rotate organizations on a monthly basis.  Little cost involved for a major impact.  Lots of Bang for your Buck.  With a little thought and effort this would work.

2.  Old Fashioned street lamps or just poles also along the 2 main corridors of highways 160 and 372 and the Calvada Eye.  These are not for "lighting" purposes but solar ones would add a soft glow and not add to electrical usage or needs for wiring.  The light poles would be used to hang banners advertising all the events going on in town as well as seasonal decorations.  Banners could be purchased by the event organizers and would let tourists just passing through know there is more to Pahrump than supermarkets, casinos and WalMart.  Seasonal decorations for 4th of July and Christmas would be used year after year as would event banners.  Start up costs of poles, banners and decorations but not much after that except to replace banners that need so after a few years. 

3.  Local artist painted statues of native animals.  These statues run about $2000 each, or less, according to a web site other towns have used.  These could be all the same animal or a variety of animals and even plants or trees.  I'm sure the price would be cheaper if all one statue was used but using multiple animals/plants would be more visually appealing. Each statue would have a plaque with the name of the artist and some history about the animal/plant.  Funding could be handled a number of ways: the town paying, artists raising donations, businesses could purchase them to be placed at their site, auctioned off after completion, grants possibly available.  I've attached a few photos of bison and a horse, some life size, some smaller.  We have so many possibilities: wild mustangs, burros, desert tortoise, rattlesnake, road runner, burrowing owl, coyote, elk, deer, mountain lion, sagebrush, Joshua tree, and the list goes on and on.  Here's a couple of websites to check out:   http://www.chicagofiberglassworks.com/html/publicart.htm,  http://www.fiberstock.com/customers/art-project-customers.  These statues could be placed all over town and places of interest, possibly all over Nye County.  To go along with the statues a map could be printed to direct tourists and locals alike to see all of them.  Possibly a small token given if someone has the map stamped at each location and visits all of them.  Will take some thought to work it all out but is a good visible attraction for our town/county. 

4.  Western fronts for commercial buildings.  Pahrump needs to have a "theme" as far as commercial buildings go. Anyone that has been to Sedona, AZ, knows how a uniform look can add to the appeal of a town.  Sedona does not have Golden Arches or large Bells but everyone still finds McDonalds and Taco Bell.  Let's have an ordinance for all new construction, including remodeling, conforming to a western building front approved by the Town/County.  All existing commercial buildings will have X (7-10?) amount of years to install a false western front on their properties, design being approved by the Town/County.  Again, people are drawn to a town that has a comfortable, unique, cozy appeal.  If we want to be the Heart of the New Old West, or Western Ways and Sunny Days, we need to provide the Western Look.  A few wagon wheels and hitching posts wouldn't hurt.  (NOTE: Our slogan is “Your Base Camp to Adventure” but her ideas would still work.)

5.  We need a central tourist area.  People want to park and walk down the street window shopping.  The only place feasible for this is the Calvada Eye.  We need to build for shops along this area, decorate with the flower barrels, lamp posts/banners and statues.  On Hwy 160 all the businesses are set too far off the road to allow walking along and looking in windows.  The Eye is a beautiful area as it is but is underutilized.  We need to use what we already have to our benefit.  I can see the tourist buses there now instead of Smiths and Albertsons.  Let's show the thousands of tourists traveling through here every year there is more to us. 

6.  Pedestrian Safety: I know this has been discussed before, having crosswalks across the highways.  It is perceived as too dangerous for the pedestrian.  I have been to towns where they have orange warning flags at stands on both ends of the crosswalk.  When a pedestrian is ready to cross they pick up a flag, walk across the street and deposit the flag in the stand on the other side.  The flags are large so that they are easy to see by the motorists.  Why not try?  This would certainly help the people trying to get from one business to another, everyone wins. 

Now on to bringing more tourists not only to Pahrump but also to Nye County:

7.  A Nye County Passport or Pamphlet directing people to all parts of the county.  People get the passport/pamphlet stamped at participating businesses or answer questions they can only answer by being at a particular place.  They get a small token when the completed, or almost completed, form is mailed in to the county or chamber.  Route 66 has a Passport for this, northern Nevada has a pamphlet with questions about information on historical markers and the loneliest highway, Hwy 50, has a pamphlet to be stamped as you cross the length of the highway.  I have done all 3 and it was a blast.  The northern Nevada one was like being on a cross-state scavenger hunt and I received a letter and jacket patch stating I had true grit just like the early settlers.  The Hwy 50 one got us a small token, key chain, etc, at each stop. Rte 66 mails gifts according to how many stamps you obtained going across several states.  We could have questions/require stamps from not only the obvious Pahrump, Beatty and Tonopah but also from Amargosa, Manhattan, Belmont, Gabbs, Round Mountain, Railroad Valley, Currant Creek, Duckwater, Ione, Sunnyside, Forty Bar, Smoky Valley and all other little bergs in Nye County.  People would love the challenge just to say they did it.  Really, why do people run 26 mile marathons?  To say they did.  Look how participating businesses would benefit as well as others nearby.  People have to eat and buy gas if nothing else. 

8.  Geocaching.  I don't know how this works exactly but do get the general idea and it seems to be very big.  We have so much land and wide open spaces to explore we could easily have a geocaching spot somewhere, or two, in Nye County that is only found by using GPS navigable skills.  Again, from what I have seen this is something people do just to say they did.  It is a challenge.  If done properly this could get adventure seekers to all parts of Nye County, benefitting many businesses. 

9.  Remote Control Air Strip.  I have seen a lot of people attending a remote control airplane tournament.  Now it doesn't seem this would cost much to have the air strip, just a short slab of concrete at one of our parks where there is plenty of air space.  I have seen lots of retirees enjoying their RC Airplanes on a sunny day and we have lots of sunny days and retirees/snowbirds.  Let's give them something to do and have a RC Airplane tournament. 

10.  Hot Air Balloon Festival.  We certainly have the wide open spaces for this.  I doubt Albuquerque, NM, was built around their balloon festival, but the other way around.  What do they have that we don't?  It would be small at first but would grow over time.  Albuquerque didn't start out like it is today, I'm sure. 

11.  Pistachio Festival.  Many towns have festivals based upon what is grown in their area.  There are strawberry, watermelons, cherry, orange, grape/wine and garlic festivals, among numerous others, which are very successful events. In the past Pahrump was known for growing cotton but that no longer is found here but I have seen at least 2 large pistachio orchards locally.  That would be a perfect crop to exploit for Festival purposes.  Of course it would start out small but look at how our local Grape Stomp has grown over the few years it has been in existence.  Many people come from out of town to attend the Winery's Grape Stomp and the same would be true of a well organized Pistachio Festival.  While strawberry and other fruit festivals are plenty, pistachio festivals are not.  Newberry, CA, off Rte 66 (I-40) and 20 miles east of Barstow, just had their 15th Annual Pistachio Festival on November 3, 2012.  Other than the Newberry, CA, festival the other pistachio festivals seem to be out of the country. 

For our own children:

12.  Let's push to grow 4-H.  It is unconscionable our children have to take their projects and animals to Logandale for their 4-H fair.  We should have our own Nye County 4-H fair and have all the children of the county participate with their 4-H projects.  Let's build a small barn to house the animals, a small show ring and a small pavilion to house the arts, crafts, foods and horticulture projects.  Let's support our local talent and children.  It seems Petrack Park with a little updating would be a nice place to hold this.  Very few of the tiny lots adjacent to McCullough Arena are locally owned.  They are unbuildable and cannot be worth a lot.  Why not offer current owners a fair market value price and take these lots by eminent domain for the good of the town.  Have an experienced fairground designer work with what is already at Petrack Park and expand on it.  Update the electrical and plumbing to support multiple vendors with 50 amp needs, enlarge the already nice McCullough Arena, expand seating capacity and so forth.  If the money is there through grants or tourism council or the fairgrounds fund this could be done rather quickly instead of waiting for years to build the fairgrounds on highway 160.  We owe it to our youth. 

13.  Soap Box Derby.  Let's get Pahrump Valley Disposal involved and have a soap box derby using recyclable materials for construction.  Get our children involved in constructing their own racer and let the kid come out in all the Dad's and grandpa's bring back memories of their youth.  We have several streets with a good slope that would work for the non-motorized racers.  It's something to think about. 

Ok, I think I'm done, for now anyway.  These ideas are worth putting a little constructive thinking into, some rather inexpensive some not so inexpensive.  We need to take baby steps but we need to take steps.  While the proposed themed attraction and the building of the new fairgrounds are both good ideas, they are not baby steps and way too far in the future.  Let's do something now. 

Thank-you all for reading this and considering some ideas.  Marna Krause, Pahrump Resident
(702) 658-3198

I sincerely thank Marna for these ideas and suggestions and we’d like to hear from others as well.  Feel free to contact Marna for a show of support. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardtwaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #15

OPEN LETTER #15 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #15.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Thanks to the Voters -  The vote tally is in and the people have spoken.  Congratulations to all those elected (or re-elected) to office and for those not elected (or re-elected) I want to say thanks for the efforts.  Voting is what makes our country great as we choose those to lead us and to make other decisions through referendums and ballot questions. 

I especially want to thank the 49.2% of Pahrump voters that voted to retain the Town Board as your local government. However, the 50.8% speaks for us all and we graciously accept the results. 

Regardless of anything that you read or hear differently from this Open Letter, I want you to have the FACTS, not assumptions, innuendos, or mere guesses. 

So, what does the vote of November 6^th mean and where do we go from here with the Town Board?  Well, NRS 269.022speaks for itself.  It states: “If the board of county commissioners determines that the best interests of the town are no longer served by a town board form of government, it may order the question to be put on the ballot at the next general election.  If the majority of persons voting favor discontinuance of the town board form of government, the town board shall cease to function at the end of the terms of office of the incumbent members of the town board, and the government of the town and all of its assets and liabilities shall revert to the board of county commissioners.” 

That means the Pahrump Town Board will cease to function effective at midnight on December 31, 2014 and the Nye County Commissioners will assume that responsibility on January 1, 2015.  This two-year transition period can make the transition from local government to county government beneficial to employees of all town functions.   It will also aid the commissioners in determining what is needed and what is not.  They must find a way to retain proper management of the Parks, the Cemetery, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department or remove them from operation. 

The normal terms of office for Mr. Mike Darby and Ms. Vicky Parker will end on December 31, 2012.  The terms of office for Ms. Amy Riches and Mr. Bill Dolan begin on January 1, 2013 and they should have their oaths of office administered by the Nye County Clerk (Ms. Sam Merlino) sometime in December 2012.  Unfortunately, their 4-year terms of office will be reduced to 2-years because of the vote to “discontinue the Pahrump Town Board” and their terms will now end on December 31, 2014.  This date is also the scheduled end of the 4-year terms of office of Dr. Tom Waters and Mr. Harley Kulkin.  This date will also include the term of whoever is selected to fill the vacant seat of Ms. Carolene Endersby. 

So, the Town Board has two years to convince the voters that they want to do what is best for Pahrump.  
All Town Board members are Pahrumpians and I believe they feel as I do and will continue to do what we believe is in the best interest of Pahrump.  We still want to hear from the public for the two remaining years and, after that, we encourage everyone to work with the Board of County Commissioners as they manage and oversee Pahrump’s town functions and resources. 

The Town Board form of government for the Town of Pahrump began in 1984 and, after 30 years, will cease to exist at the end of 2014. 

Until the end of December 2014, I will continue to write Open Letters to the Community as a member of the Pahrump Town Board in order to respond to questions and concerns of our residents. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardtwaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #14

OPEN LETTER #14 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #14.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

The Pahrump Town Board – YOUR Local Government -  I speak with many people in Pahrump and receive even more calls and e-mail messages.  Most believe keeping our Town Board is viable and necessary for local government and others offer suggestions and recommendations as to how we (the Town Board) can become more effective.  I must admit that I had some of the same suggestions and recommendations before I was elected to serve on the Town Board.  I did not understand the impact or the restrictions of the Nevada Open Meeting Laws (OML) NRS 241.  I have received the following suggestions, questions, and recommendations from well-meaning citizens.  

1.  Question: Why doesn’t the Town Board hold a Town Hall type meeting and answer questions of the public and tell us why you vote the way you do?  That way we would understand why you do what you do. 
     Answer: According to NRS 241 - OML, all meetings with a quorum of Town Board members (3 or more) must be agendized with specific agenda items.  If less than a quorum meets (2 or 1) we also violate the OML if we publicize how we would vote except in an agendized Open Meeting. 

2.  Question: Why can’t the Town Board members hold a “closed door” meeting and go over the questionable items so you appear more united when you face the public? 
     Answer: Again, I must refer you to the OML.  Closed door meetings (Closed Sessions) can only be utilized for the following issues: Personnel related issues, Appointment of a person to public office, Attorney-client privilege communications, and Labor issues. 

3.  Question: Why can’t each Town Board member explain their views on all matters which are of concern to the citizens and how they would vote on them in Open Letters to the Community? 
     Answer: Again, I must refer you to the OML.  However, I often explain rationale AFTER a vote has been taken on an issue.  That is acceptable as long as I only give my reasons and not those of other Town Board members.  I will continue to use the Open Letter to explain issues when citizens still require clarification. 

4.  Question: Why can’t you just do what you need to do and say what you need to say to get the job done in public or at other public meetings? 
     Answer: Again, I must refer you to the OML.  Violation of the OML has serious consequences.  This is the reason the Board of County Commissioners, the Pahrump Town Board, and all Advisory Boards always attempt to comply with Nevada law. 

5.  Question: Isn’t there a duplication of government functions (double layer of government) by having a Town Board and the County Commissioners? 
     Answer: Not at all.  This would ignore how the Town Board and County Commissioners have operated since the creation of the Town Board in 1984.  The county code was changed to recognize that the county laws and regulations will apply only if the town has not enacted measures covering the same subject matter.  This means that the county controls only what the town does not.  There is no double layer and no duplication of functions. 

The Open Meeting Law is there for a very valid reason.  Each of us must avoid decisions which are made in “back rooms” or in “closed meetings.”  All decisions related to the “people’s business” must be decided in an open forum, thus, the Open Meeting Law. 

There were some callers who stated that we should disband the Town Board form of government and allow the County Commissioners to function as Pahrump’s local government.  My reply is: The Commissioners are county government and the Town Board is local government.  I then ask this question, “If you are displeased with the State Governor, should we consider relinquishing operation of the state government to the two U.S. Senators or the U.S. Congressional members?”  They all answer “NO.”  The reason for that explanation is the diversity of each job responsibility.  The same explanation applies to our Commissioners.  Even if all five Commissioners lived in Pahrump, their responsibilities must still be devoted to the entire county.  For those who forget, Nye County is the third largest county in the United States and the County Commissioners can’t ignore the rest of the county and show partially or favoritism for the Town of Pahrump.  That is why we need a local government.  If you are displeased with the members of your local government, vote for someone else at the next election.  I would never consider “throwing out the baby with the bath water.” 

I have stated openly that I have never (and will never) belittle or speak negatively about our Board of County Commissioners in their positions as commissioners, and I will not criticize them for doing the jobs to which they were elected just because I may have chosen another option.  However, they were not elected to manage the Town of Pahrump and I would not ask them to assume that responsibility.  I will state again that the Town Board has responsibility for the Parks, the Cemetery, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department.  These areas are local functions best reserved for the Town and local government. 

I was also asked if I wanted to retain the Pahrump Town Board to assure my continued position on the Town Board.  Here is the Nevada Law in its entirety.  “NRS 269.022 - Discontinuance of elected town board: Procedure.  If the board of county commissioners determines that the best interests of the town are no longer served by a town board form of government, it may order the question to be put on the ballot at the next general election.  If the majority of persons voting favor discontinuance of the town board form of government, the town board shall cease to function at the end of the terms of office of the incumbent members of the town board, and the government of the town and all of its assets and liabilities shall revert to the board of county commissioners.”  (Italics added for emphasis).  As you can see, your vote in November has NO impact on my term of office.  My term of office, according to NRS 269.022, ends on December 31, 2014.  However, I will continue to ask that you retain control of your Local Government by electing experienced citizens to serve your Local Government as members of your Town Board.  I would hope that you clearly understand the impact if your elected Town Board becomes an Advisory Board under the Board of County Commissioners.  It is up to you to stand up for yourselves and chart the direction which you choose for Pahrump.  If you choose to reduce your Town Board to ONLY an “advisory board”, you will have LOST your option to control or participate in decisions within our community.  We would then be governed by the Nye County Commissioners … NOT by any local Town Board. 

In a unique way, the Pahrump Town Board, Nye County Commissioners, and members of the State Legislature could be compared to the human body.  Each part of the body has a specific function and without each body part the body itself suffers.  If any disease is found, we have the option to 'heal' it.  In "government", however, we have the right and option to vote, and by doing so, we are attempting to "heal" or address the needs of our community.  (Few people shoot themselves inthe foot just because they have a "headache"!)  Let us address our needs through the proper channels without "shooting ourselves in the foot" which would destroy our local government! 

Again, to retain control of your local government beyond December 31, 2014, Remember to vote NO in November when you see the BALLOT QUESTION, “Shall the Pahrump elected town board form of government be discontinued?”  Vote “NO” so you can retain your local government. 

Therefore, I encourage each of you to retain your local government by voting “NO” to the above question. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardtwaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #13

OPEN LETTER #13 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #13.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

The Pahrump Town Board Vs. The Nye County Commissioners  
 I thought that would get your attention.  J   

However, if you know me at all, then you know that I have never (and will never) belittle or speak negatively about our Board of County Commissioners in their positions as commissioners.  I will always attempt to clarify some of their actions if I disagree with them but I will not criticize our County Commissioners for doing the jobs they were elected to do just because I may have chosen to do it differently.  I have discussed issues with each of our Commissioners and I appreciate their perspectives.  With that said, I will continue to discuss or provide logical or factual information to our commissioners as long as it is beneficial to the County of Nye, the Town of Pahrump, our community and its progress, and my commitment to you specifically as a Town Board member. 

So, this Open Letter is not to “bash” the Board of Nye County Commissioners (BoCC).  It is merely to speak “openly” to only ONE Commissioner in his position away from the Board of County Commissioners.  I will speak to Dan Schinhofen about some of his statements in his weekly Pahrump Mirror Newspaper column entitled, “Ramblings of a Madman.”  I hope to clarify some of the mis-information or slanted information he has printed in his column about the Pahrump Town Board. Although I read his column, I do not respond because, as the title indicates, it really is the ‘ramblings of a madman’ and should not be taken seriously.  It seems evident that other Town Board members feel the same way since I’ve seen no response to his ‘slanted’ information that he prints as fact.  However, since some of our residents actually believe some of the ramblings, I felt I should attempt to set the record straight.  No, I have no intention of writing a column to offset his column and this will probably be the last Open Letter about anything in his column.  Please remember that he has stated that his column is controversial … a ploy often used by individuals to gain a “following” based on radical or twisted statements which insights prejudices.  And, controversial it is.  However, when he chooses to bash the decisions of the members of the Pahrump Town Board without knowing specific information regarding our research or asking us why we voted a certain way, he unleashes an assumption that he “knows all” and we (the Town Board) do not. 

Dan Schinhofen also mixes fact with fiction to make his points more believable.  His political views are well known and everyone has a right to their political opinions.  I must applaud him for managing to state most of the historical facts correctly from our ‘Founding Fathers.”  Unfortunately, in his column, he has views from A to Z and sometimes he crosses the line into the “twilight zone” where fiction is reality only in his mind.  Let me give you some examples from his August 2, and August 23, 2012 columns.  I will summarize his statements as I understand them since I do not plan to reprint his column. 

Let’s begin with the August 2^nd column.  Dan Schinhofen stated that the Town has made NO progress on the Fairgrounds without mentioning the progress that has been made such as the approval to proceed with the soccer fields.  Again, he insinuates that he knows more than anyone else without checking with the people in charge of the progress.  I would ask that he check with Mr. Bill Kohbarger (the Town Manager) or Mr. Matt Luis (the Town’s Building & Grounds Manager) before stating erroneous information as fact.  Personally, I always check with a Commissioner or Mr. Dave Fanning before I state anything about Blagg Road to ensure I report information accurately. 

Then, he stated that the Town Board raised property taxes two years in a row without explaining the details.  I shall provide you the facts.  The state of Nevada reviews the tax situation state-wide.  Then, the state makes recommendations of the “tax rate” needed to maintain the SAME LEVEL of services.  This tax rate can ONLY be raised if the county, city, or town has not reached their maximum allowable rate.  Since the Town of Pahrump had NOT reached the maximum allowable rate, we had to make a decision to maintain the SAME LEVEL of services or reduce the level of services.  Please remember that the Town of Pahrump has responsibility ONLY for the Parks (including the Fairgrounds), the Cemetery, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department.  Yes, we could have kept the same tax rate and closed one or two of the parks or fired some Fire Department personnel; however, we chose instead to provide the SAME LEVEL of services to the citizens of Pahrump by accepting the state-recommended tax rate.  Of course you can ask Dan Schinhofen if the county is already at the maximum allowable tax rate and has nowhere else to go.  As I stated, the Town of Pahrump is NOT at our maximum rate because we chose to accept the state-recommended tax rate and maintain the SAME LEVEL of services. 

Now, let’s look at the August 23^rd column.  Again, Dan Schinhofen displays “selective amnesia” when he stated that “The Town Board could have come to the County Commission and asked for the question (of Incorporation) to be put on the ballot,” when this was actually done in 2011.  According to the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) Agenda dated January 11, 2011, under Other Business, item number 32a., quoted here for accuracy:

OTHER BUSINESS
32 Town Boards/Town Advisory Boards
a. Action – Discussion, deliberation, and possible decision on placing an Advisory Question on the November 2012 General Election asking the voters of the Town of Pahrump whether they wish the Town of Pahrump to be Incorporated. 

According to Dan Schinhofen during the January 2011 meeting, he stated that the District Attorney told him that the BoCC had NO authority to place Incorporation of the Town of Pahrump on the ballot.  I guess we shouldn’t remind him of that but maybe he should review BoCC agendas and meeting minutes before writing his column. 

The NRS is clear that the BoCC can only place removal of an elected Town Board on the ballot if they “determine” that the Town Board form of government is no longer beneficial to the Town.  He made that determination in July 2012 and pushed to place it on the ballot and then attempted to tie it to an Incorporation effort.  Whether you are ‘for’ or ‘against’ Incorporation for Pahrump, just state the facts and tell the truth.  Then, in his column, he takes a “leap into the twilight zone” by condoning and supporting a poorly written Town Ordinance which violated Nevada State Law where repealing this ordinance had absolutely nothing to do with Incorporation.  It was merely a poorly crafted and poorly written ordinance that violated Nevada Law and should have never been passed. The Town Board had the responsibility and authority to repeal it.  

When or if you read his column, you can readily and easily see that it truly is the “Ramblings of a Madman.” 

Since Commissioner Schinhofen is the person who initially PUSHED for the BoCC to take over the Town’s Local Government, his ramblings in his column is all I will mention.  He clearly insinuates that he could run the local government better when your elected Town Board becomes an Advisory Board under the Board of County Commissioners.  Please remember that the Pahrump Town Board is YOUR local government and you need people on the Board to represent your best interests in an honest and ethical manner.  I will continue to ask that you retain control of your Local Government by electing experienced citizens to serve your Local Government as members of your Town Board.  It is up to you to take a positive stand for yourselves and the direction which you choose for Pahrump. 

Please know that your vote in November has NO impact on my term of office.  My term of office, according to Nevada Law, ends on December 31, 2014.  However, to retain control of your local government beyond that date: Remember to vote NO in November when you see the BALLOT QUESTION, “Shall the Pahrump elected town board form of government be discontinued?”  Vote “NO” so you can retain your local government. 

If you choose to reduce your Town Board to ONLY an “advisory board”, you will have LOST your option to control or participate in decisions within our community.  We would then be governed by the Nye County Commissioners … NOT by your local Town Board.  Therefore, I encourage each of you to retain your local government by voting “NO” to the above question. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardt
775-764-0949
waters@pahrumpnv.org

Open Letter #12

OPEN LETTER #12 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #12.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

The Pahrump Town Board Candidates Should Have Untarnished Past Records -
You have a lot to think about as you go to the polls in November.  I ask that you learn about the candidates and vote for the people that you believe will be best in the office they seek.  Of course, my primary interest in this Open Letter is the Pahrump Town Board.  We have FOUR candidates and, regardless of rumors, innuendos, and false accusations, only THREE have an untarnished past record from my research.  One does have a tarnished past record.  That is, if the article in the Pahrump Mirror Newspaper, (August 16, 2012 by Belinda Hendrickson entitled “Maurizio ethics complaint costs town”) is correct and I have no reason to doubt it since I have many of the same documents she uses in her article and they are readily available on the Internet. 

After reading Ms. Hendrickson’s article, one must ask themselves this question.  Is it possible that Mr. Frank Maurizio makes the attacks on others in hopes no one will “look at the skeletons in his closet?”  In addition to all the information in the article, please remember that I stated in one of my previous Open Letters to the Citizens (Open Letter #3-October 2011), that Mr. Frank Maurizio cost the Town of Pahrump approximately $3,000 when he submitted a frivolous Open Meeting Law violation complaint against three Pahrump Town Board members that had no merit according to the Nevada Attorney General’s office.  He writes many Letters to the Editor and sends out many email messages but I can’t remember any message from him about himself or the material contained in the Pahrump Mirror newspaper article.  On his radio program, he criticizes many people with mere innuendos and no officially documented evidence.  Let’s reiterate the documented evidence that he does not want to talk about.  We can start with the Nevada Commission of Ethic’s opinion #09-40C that is easily located on the web at http://ethics.nv.gov/Ncoe%20Website/PANEL%20DETERMINATIONS/2009/2009.10.26%20PD%20Maurizio%2009-40C.TD.pdf. 

Let’s see, according to Ms. Hendrickson’s article, he cost the Town $5,350 for an ethics violation in 2010.  He gave protected attorney-client privileged documents to his attorney who then tried to introduce the documents into evidence with the Nevada Ethics Commission that the Commission refused to accept.  The commission’s findings were that Mr. Maurizio had violated two provisions of the Nevada Revised Statues for which he agreed to pay a fine of $1,000 and attend an ethics training program.  Also, in September 2009, he was fined $2,500 by the Nevada Private Investigators Licensing Board because his website described him as a licensed private investigator when he had no such license. 

We all know that he was appointed to the Pahrump Town Board in 2008 by Nevada Governor James Gibbons to fill a vacancy which amounted to a 2-year term of office.  According to available documents, he falsified his application to the Governor’s Office when he stated in his résumé that he had a B.S. Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix.  I personally contacted Mr. Maurizio about this information and he confirmed that he made an unintentional error on his résumé.  In essence, he did not have a B.S. Degree from the University of Phoenix at the time of his application.  Since he, and only he, is fully responsible for all information on documents submitted for his application this makes this candidate, according to my dictionary, either incompetent, dishonest, or unethical.  Personally I like Mr. Maurizio and I mean him no “ill will” but we all must face that old adage, “people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.” 

So, of the three remaining candidates, who is qualified to serve on the Pahrump Town Board?  As citizens willing to serve their community, I say ALL THREE are qualified to serve.  However, if you want experience to be a factor, there are only TWO with Town Board experience.  That is Vicky Parker (the current Chairman) and Bill Dolan (former Vice-Chairman).  I speak from experience when I say that service on the Pahrump Town Board brings a “steep learning curve” and I wish I had had the experience of either Vicky Parker or Bill Dolan when I took my seat as a novice in January 2011.  My background as a senior Air Force NCO, senior Air Force officer, a college director of education, and high school (and middle school) administrator does not compensate for the experience needed to be a Town Board member. 

So, I personally recommend for YOUR Town Board the two candidates with experience, VICKY PARKER and BILL DOLAN. 

Please remember that the Pahrump Town Board is YOUR local government and you need people on the Board to represent your best interests in an honest and ethical manner.  I will continue to ask that you retain control of your Local Government by electing experienced citizens to serve as your Local Government as members of your Town Board.  It is up to you to take a positive stand for your local government. 

Lastly, Remember to vote NO when you see the BALLOT QUESTION, “Shall the Pahrump elected town board form of government be discontinued?”  Retain your local government. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board
twaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #11

OPEN LETTER #11 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #11.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

The Question – An Elected Town Board or an Appointed Advisory Board -
Between now and November 2012, you will hear a lot on BOTH sides of this argument.  In the end, I believe we will retain the Elected Town Board by a LARGE margin because, even if you disagree with select Town Board members, you don’t throw out the Baby with the Bath Water.  Or, as we would say in this Western Town, “Don’t shoot yourself in the foot.”  If you didn’t have an elected Town Board, ask yourself, “Am I satisfied with everything the Board of County Commissioners is doing for the county?”  If your answer is no, I ask, “Why would you want them to have complete control of your Town’s assets and funding?”  And, if you answered yes, the question remains, “Why would you want them to have complete control of your Town’s assets and funding?  BOTTOM LINE: Retain control of your Local Government by electing your Local Government in the form of your Town Board. 

In 1984, the citizens of Pahrump decided that they wanted their own elected officials handling the affairs of the Town as the Local Government.  In 1984, the population was much smaller than it is today.  Since 1984, the population has increased over 60% and we expect the population of Pahrump to continue to increase.  Remember that the Town of Pahrump has over 37,000 residents and, as a population center, is over 80% of Nye County.  For that basic reason, we (as a Town) have earned the right to have our own elected officials as our Local Government instead of as an Advisory Board appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to serve “at the pleasure” of the county commissioners. 

In an article in the Mirror (August 9, 2012) by Caitlyn May (Laws force advisory board to dissolve) the matter is being handled by the county commissioners.  The article begins with, “The Manhattan Advisory Board is no more ….”  The article concludes with, “Manhattan, operating under an advisory board status, is not responsible for writing its own ordinances or its overall finances.  Those responsibilities, because of the town’s advisory board status, fall to Nye County.  Earlier this year, the commission agreed to place on the general election ballot, a question as to whether or not the Pahrump Town Board should be dissolved.  In the event that the voters decide to do away with the elected town board form of government for Pahrump, the town would revert to an advisory board status, similar to Manhattan.” 

Please know that the Town Board has responsibility ONLY for the Cemetery, the Parks, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department.  This also includes Town property.  We also maintain budgetary and financial controls to maintain these areas.  All other areas of the Town are the responsibility of the Board of County Commissioners.  I have worked with each of the Commissioners and will not speak “ill” of any of them.  

I appreciate what they do.  They do what they need to do for the entire county of Nye of which we are proud to be a part.  However, as the titles state, they are County Government, not LOCAL Government. 

Use your Vote to elect people you want on your Town Board and also use that opportunity and KEEP your Town Board as your local form of government.  If you elect a Town Board member and realize it was a mistake, you can always vote them out of office at the next election. 

You will hear from some theorists, naysayers, and complainers that this is all about Incorporation.  You might also hear that the Martians are coming to take over this planet.  If you hear either one, these are merely unfounded theories and created distractions that should remain in the minds of the beholder. 

I stated to the Commissioners that I would like to see this issue of the elected Town Board ON the ballot in November if the petitions receive the required number of signatures.  According to the District Attorney, the petitions (the voice of the people) did NOT have the required number of signatures but the Commissioners used their authority to place the issue on the ballot anyway.  The commissioners have the authority to place the issue on the ballot but they can’t vote for you.  It is now up to you, the citizens of Pahrump, to vote in November.  Since there were not enough petition signatures to place this item on the ballot, what makes any reasonable person think the signatures will “magically” appear to in the form of votes?  We need to show the vocal minority that they do NOT speak for the entire 37,000 plus residents of Pahrump.  Again, I welcome the voice of the people today and will welcome it again in November. 

BOTTOM LINE: Retain control of your Local Government by electing your Local Government as members of your Town Board.  The citizens felt strongly about it in 1984 and, after 28 years, this is NOT the time to revert to a Town in its infancy.  It is now up to you to take a positive stand for your local government. 

Remember to vote NO when you see the BALLOT QUESTION, “Shall the Pahrump elected town board form of government be discontinued?” 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board
twaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949