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.
My Thoughts and Ideas for TODAY and TOMORROW!
My thoughts on the upcoming election: There are several people I am convinced I will vote for on November 4th and probably won’t change my mind. However, I will still listen to the debates to determine if I know what I believe I know. While I won’t campaign AGAINST any candidates, I will campaign FOR certain candidates. Here are THREE names that I will encourage everyone to vote FOR and please understand that I vote for PEOPLE, not PARTY affiliation. Those THREE are: Congressman Steven Horsford, Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi, and for Nye County Assessor – Ms. Sheree Stringer.
Please know there are several other outstanding candidates for several offices that I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend.
These are outstanding citizens who want what is best for our community and our residents. Feel free to contact me if you want my list of those candidates I support.
My thoughts on the August 2014 injunction against the town: For those who know me or have discussed this with me, you already know that I was opposed to the injunction.
Why was I opposed to it? I was opposed to the injunction because each of our Nye County Commissioners could have avoided any court action by simply contacting any town board member to inquire about our vote on the contracts.
Since we (the Pahrump Town Board) can no longer vote on a personnel contract that extends beyond January 4, 2015, it is not an “Open Meeting Law” violation to tell you and anybody else that (I learned after the injunction) we had each already rejected the contracts as written and had recommended changes (the same changes recommended by Judge Wanker) to help the Town of Pahrump and the affected staff. I have no problem with DA Kunzi, who followed the direction of the commissioners or with Judge Wanker, who rendered the court’s decision.
Yes, I wish it had been a different decision but the commissioners could have prevented this entire event by simply communicating with any member of the Pahrump Town Board.
My thoughts and ideas about the town governance in January 2015: For the 50.8 percent of the voters who voted to “discontinue” the elected Pahrump Town Board, you get what you voted for. For the 49.2 percent who voted to retain your elected town board, I ask only that you respect the “will of the majority” and give the commissioners a chance. I will give them every opportunity to be successful because, if they are successful, the Town of Pahrump is successful.
It is my hope that the commissioners will find a way to utilize the background and expertise of the current Town Manager Susan Holecheck, as a permanent part of the transition to retain all that is positive about the town.
I also hope the current employees with their vast expertise are retained because, if they leave, they can’t be replaced at a later date. I would like to “see a plan” that the commissioners have for the governance of Pahrump since none of the five have any experience in running a town as a mayor or as a manager. Remember, too, that the town budget is effective through June 30, 2015, so no “tampering” with the budget is required.
It is also my hope that no one at the county level falls into the trap of considering Dave Richards in any position of authority within the Town of Pahrump. I did a background check on him with his former employer in Alaska when he wanted to replace Bill Kohbarger as town manager. They stated, “We didn’t fire him because we didn’t want to give him any severance pay. We allowed his contract to expire and would never rehire him and feel sympathy for any locality that considers him for any management position.”
In my dealings with Richards, I was positively impressed with his rhetoric until I learned that there is no substance there, only rhetoric. He displayed his emotional instability when he encouraged and participated in the charge to “arrest the town board” bringing shame to the Town of Pahrump from around the world. I personally received emails from across the United Sates as well as Germany, England, Korea and Japan about that negative incident. Let’s move forward and work together to make Pahrump a positive place to live.
Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments about this letter or any of my comments.
twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949