Restore the Pahrump Town Board? Let voters decide
Resident and former Pahrump Town Board member Tom Waters may have no intention of ever sitting on such a board again, but he is keen on seeing this style of government restored in what is by far the largest community in Nye County.
As part of his push to bring back the Pahrump Town Board, either in an elected or advisory capacity, Waters hosted a town hall meeting last month, inviting all who were interested in the concept, whether for or against it. Following that meeting, Waters has decided that the best way to proceed would be through a ballot question, leaving the matter in the hands of the people.
“We’re looking at the results of the meeting we had on May 23. We had quite a few people come out to voice their opinions on the pros and cons on re-establishing the Pahrump Town Board, but we have so many positive people who want to continue that. The main thing is to allow the voters to make that decision,” Waters stated during the Nye County Commission’s June 3 meeting.
The Pahrump Town Board was originally formed in the 1980s and was officially disbanded in 2014, following the 2012 election in which just 231 votes made the difference between retaining the board and abolishing it. As it stands today, the Nye County Commission sits as the governing body for the town of Pahrump. In contrast, Tonopah, Amargosa and Round Mountain - each with populations at or under 2,200 residents — have their own dedicated town boards and town managers, a fact that Waters has repeatedly highlighted.
“With 47,000 people, I think we could find five people and a town manager who could run the town of Pahrump, to help the county commissioners do your job better,” Waters said. “Pahrump is the largest populated area in Nye County without a local government, but we have some talented people in Pahrump who could step up… they could focus on the needs of the people of the town of Pahrump.”
Waters explained that he and his fellow proponents are working on a petition to have the question placed on the November 2026 General Election ballot. At least 2,422 petition signatures will be required in order to have the question put before voters.
The powers of a Pahrump town board would be limited in scope, to include administration of the Pahrump Fire and Rescue Service, local cemetery and swimming pool, all area parks as well as the Pahrump Fairgrounds, and any town-owned buildings and grounds.
The town board would not be responsible for items such as road maintenance, planning, code compliance, etcetera, which fall under the jurisdiction of the county commission.
“Let the people make the decision. They made the decision 10 years ago, they can make the decision again. And whatever the people decide is where we want to go,” Waters stated.
For more information email Waters at TWaters2015@icloud.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
