Does Pahrump really need a town board?

That’s a question we are all asking. Many Pahrump residents have already made the decision that we, the Pahrump voters, need the voice that only a town board can provide.

It “appears” that they realize a Pahrump Town Board is necessary by their eagerness to sign the petitions that are available to all. If you have signed a petition, we thank you. If you haven’t signed a petition or you question whether a town board is necessary, I hope your decision is solidified after reading this open letter about the loss of revenue to the town of Pahrump without the town board’s voice.

I hope you are aware of the article in the Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 edition of the Pahrump Valley Times by reporter Robin Hebrock about the uncollected room tax. She explains that “tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid late fees over the course of three years” were not collected for the town of Pahrump by Nye County. “The county has authorized its staff to pursue collection of these late payment penalties. In an effort to ensure the situation does not repeat itself, the Nye County Treasurer’s Office is also implementing new policies and procedures aimed at keeping a closer eye on room tax revenues.” The Nye County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) and the district attorney are serious about fixing this problem. But why did it happen and why wasn’t the problem discovered sooner?

I’m going to explain to you that a Pahrump Town Board would have discovered this problem in “year one” instead of allowing it to fester for three years and cost the town of Pahrump thousands of dollars.

How did the BoCC learn of this problem? Was it their expertise that allowed them to realize that the town of Pahrump (and other towns in Nye County) was losing these funds on a continual basis? The answer to that question is NO! They were notified of this problem by the town board in another community in Nye County because town boards have the ability to focus on the needs of the town. Wait!!! Pahrump doesn’t have a town board, so there was no voice for Pahrump to identify the problem. That’s correct, but Amargosa, Round Mountain, and Tonopah DO have town boards, and it was Tonopah’s town board that identified the problem for Nye County.

Yes, Tonopah’s town board complained to the county about a problem that was completely overlooked by the county commissioners and the county treasurer. Pahrump residents would have complained about the loss of the revenues, but Pahrump doesn’t have a town board, and the commissioners (sitting as the Pahrump Town Board) are not going to complain to themselves.

According to the Tonopah Town Board, they sent a message to inform the county of the problem. They became aware that it appears as though a representative of the Nye County Treasurer’s Office has been waiving the penalties and interest for the late payment of transient lodging taxes (“room taxes”) for establishments in Tonopah. A preliminary audit of their records for the past four years showed these presumed waivers to exceed $18,000.

In a letter dated Jan. 8, 2025, sent to the Nye County manager by the Tonopah town manager, “The language in this ordinance is clear and unambiguous: A licensee who is subject to this article and who fails to deliver transient lodging business license tax monies to the Nye County treasurer within fifteen (15) days after the due date set out in section 22.04.360 of this chapter shall be liable to pay a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the monies due and owing.” And: “A licensee who is subject to this article and who fails to deliver transient lodging business license tax monies to the Nye County treasurer on or before the due date set out in section 22.04.360 of this chapter shall be assessed interest on the total amount of taxes owing, at a rate of one percent (1%) per month, accruing from the due date. (Ord. 94-01, 1994).

The town of Tonopah requests a full and complete audit of all room tax transactions during the employee’s tenure to determine the total value of these waivers, and is demanding their return.”

A similar ordinance was adopted by the Pahrump Town Board many years ago, but without the voice of that board to monitor and ensure enforcement, nothing is done. If it hadn’t been for the Tonopah Town Board, we wouldn’t have known about the problem.

There might be other areas where the town of Pahrump is losing revenue or lack of focus because we don’t have the same voice as Tonopah, Amargosa, or Round Mountain through their town boards.

How can anyone remain opposed to the creation of an elected Pahrump Town Board after knowing what the “lack of a voice” can cause? This opposition is truly a wonder to me.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am in favor of local town governance through a town board form of government (Pahrump residents whose primary focus is the town of Pahrump), which would also ease the burdens of the BoCC and could also eliminate errors and/or potential errors made against the town.

So, to respond to the question, “Does Pahrump really need a town board?” at this time, the answer is an astounding YES. Absolutely YES, especially if you want to be part of the solution. So, sign the petition as soon as you can to help place the question on the ballot to allow the residents of Pahrump to vote yes or no for the elected town board.

If you have questions or comments for the Town Board Committee, you can contact them via email at TownMail@Mail.com or through their Facebook page, which is titled, “Town Board Committee.”

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Tom Waters

Former Town Board Member (2011-2014)