Diesel Tax Workshops slated for next week in Amargosa, Beatty and Pahrump

Anytime the idea of imposing a new tax is broached, such proposals undoubtedly catch the attention of many and members of the public often have plenty to say on the topic.

With Nye County now proposing to establish a brand new local diesel tax, officials have been hosting a series of diesel tax workshops throughout the county over the past few weeks, giving residents the opportunity to chime in with their opinions. Those workshops are set to continue next week in the communities of Amargosa and Beatty. In addition, with the Pahrump Valley the largest population center in the county, a second diesel tax workshop is also scheduled for the Pahrump area and anyone interested in airing their thoughts on the concept of instituting a new tax on diesel fuel purchases made in Nye County is encouraged to head out to one of these workshops in the coming week.

“Nye County Public Works is hosting a series of public workshops to ask for public input regarding a possible diesel tax in Nye County,” an announcement from Nye County Public Information Officer Arnold Knightly read. “There is no diesel tax currently imposed by Nye County for our roads. All diesel tax paid at the pump currently goes to the state of Nevada and the United States federal government. We want to discuss some options for better funding our local road maintenance programs in Nye County. We are excited to have this discussion and encourage the public to come by to watch our presentation and ask questions.”

The diesel tax workshops kicked off on July 14 in Pahrump and plans called to host several more not long after with workshops set for Beatty and Amargosa on July 27 and 28.

However, two wild summer thunderstorms hit the Pahrump Valley on July 25 and 26, causing extensive flooding and damage across the area and plunging the Nye County Public Works Department into frenzy of repair activities as they rushed to address the situation. With the attention of public works concentrated on clearing streets of debris and ensuring emergency access for area first responders, the Amargosa and Beatty workshops for July were canceled, with assurances from county officials that they would be rescheduled as soon as the public works department was able to handle the task.

Though public works crews are still busy with repairs and cleanup following the intense storms, the department is now ready to host those two previously canceled workshops, as well as a second workshop for the Pahrump community.

Attendees can expect to see a formal presentation by members of the public works department, including director Tim Dahl and assistant director Thomas Bolling, along with several others, who will be available to help answer questions.

The presentation will provide an overview of the county’s current road conditions as well as details on the current maintenance program, along with information on the cost of maintenance, which shows that the department’s budget falls short of its needs by several million dollars. While a new diesel tax would certainly not bridge the budget gap in its entirety, it would help provide nearly half a million dollars in additional funding for the county to use in its efforts to keep Nye County’s roads from deteriorating to unusable conditions.

The Amargosa diesel tax workshop is set for Monday, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Amargosa Community Center, 1640 E. Farm Road.

The Beatty workshop is slated for Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Beatty Community Center, 100 South A Avenue.

The second Pahrump diesel tax workshop is scheduled for next Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Bob Ruud Community Center, 150 N. Highway 160.

Snacks and beverages will be provided.

To view the workshop presentation packet visit www.nyecounty.net and click on the “Diesel Workshop” link under the “County Spotlight” section of the website.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com