By GINA B. GOOD
PVT
Town Manager Bill Kohbarger answered his critics this week.
He wondered why Sheriff Tony DeMeo didn’t simply pick up the phone and ask him about the so-called “sneaky” meeting he, town board member Vicky Parker and town attorney Rick Campbell had with state Sen. Mike McGinness last Friday.
At the Aug. 24 town board meeting, DeMeo asked the town board and staff if rumors of a meeting to discuss incorporating Pahrump by a vote of the state legislature were true. He received no answer.
The following day DeMeo told the Pahrump Valley Times his suspicions were confirmed in a conversation with the senator, who said Campbell had set a meeting to speak about the process of a bill draft request, or BDR.
A BDR would bypass a vote by the people in a general election and require only a vote by the members of the state Senate to incorporate the town.
Kohbarger acknowledged he should have told DeMeo during the town board meeting that he and the others were traveling to Fallon to meet with McGinness, but he said he didn’t want to take attention away from the business items on the board’s agenda.
There appeared to be no general knowledge of the meeting. Board member Mike Darby said DeMeo’s mention was “the first I had heard anything about it. Nobody had called or e-mailed me.”
Kohbarger pointed out that part of his goals and performance objectives for 2009-2010, as handed down by the current town board, was to investigate incorporation. In fact, board Chairman Nicole Shupp added the goal of “continue working toward incorporation” to Kohbarger’s list of objectives, and in 2009 the board unanimously adopted all 26 goals.
“In other words, it’s my job to investigate incorporation,” said Kohbarger. “We are doing our due diligence and we did talk about other things, but we spent most of the time with the senator talking over the process of a BDR, which is extensive.
“We did not ask the senator to write a BDR for us at this time. We just wanted to pick his brain. He is one of the most senior and respected senators in the state and he represents the town of Pahrump.
“We did want to know if he would do a BDR for us in the future and he laid out the process. Our request would have to be confirmed by the town board, and the support of the citizens would have to be proven.”
Kohbarger said the entire process, as McGinness laid it out, would include the BDR going to the state’s Government Affairs Committee.
“The senator told us the Senate hates to get in the middle of a shooting match between the county and the town, so the town would have to reach out to the citizens and have the support of citizens and the business community.”
McGinness also told the Pahrump delegation that the BDR must be “bulletproof,” meaning every detail of incorporation would have to be clearly specified. Residents of Pahrump would need to travel to Carson City to show support of the BDR, and the town would have to show that no economic harm would come to the county.
The last time incorporation was on a general ballot was 2000, when Pahrump’s population was 17,000 residents.
The population of the valley over the last decade has grown by 53 percent to between 35,000-36,000.
“That’s more than half the citizens of Pahrump that have not had the opportunity to vote on incorporation,” Kohbarger said.
He pointed to the fact that during town board meetings, a diverse group of residents are making their displeasure known to the county commissioners.
“The commissioners do a good job, but don’t forget that two of them represent northern Nye County, and although 80 percent of the population of Nye County is in Pahrump, it’s their job to do what is best for their constituents.”
Kohbarger also said that the mines in Goldfield represent about 20-24 percent of the county’s income, with Pahrump contributing at least 70 percent.
“If the citizens want to direct their own destiny, we have to incorporate,” he said, adding the county commissioners refused to put incorporation on the ballot in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Bill Dolan, who was vacationing in New York at the time of the board meeting, said he didn’t know about the meeting with McGinness. However, he added that isn’t unusual as he also meets with elected officials as a regular course of doing business for the town.
“As a town, we are very much involved with the Nevada League of Cities,” Dolan explained.
“During the last conference up in Reno, all the attendees were encouraged to meet with their legislators. There is a $3 billion deficit, and there is going to be a grabfest as legislators try to balance the budget by cutting funds. They are going to take money from wherever they can get it. We need to make sure they know we need every cent of what this town has.”
No Kohbarger, its not part of your job to ban guns, lie to us or sneak things by us, shove growth and the crime that comes with it on us, turn Pahrump into a strip mall.
Incorporation will KILL Us. It will cost us loads of money, Property taxes with SKY ROCKET, and so will the cost of living in Pahrump.
NO MORE.
I for one, am glad Tony said something.
An increase in population from 17,000 to 35-36,000 isn’t a 53% increase.
You are absolutely right. Nice catch! It is an increase of 106% to 112% depending on which figure (35,000 or 36,000) you use.
It’s time for a change.
Vote out Dolan and Shuup, recall Parker and fire Kohbarger.
This behind the back stuff will only get worse.
It’s time for the elected officials in this town to listen to who elected them.
THEY NEED TO GET RID OF COMRAD KOHBARGER TELL HIM TO GO BACK TO MORIN COUNTY CA. OR WEREEVER HE COMES FROM. OH I REMBER HE CAME FROM UP IN NORTHERN NEVADA WERE HE WAS FIRED. IF THE PEOPLE VOTE NO DO NOT GOAROUND OUR RIGHTS. ALSO HE WAS THE ONE WHO WANTED TO TAKEAWAY OUR RIGHTS TO PROTECT OURSELVES BANNING FIREARMS ON TOWN PROPERTY THE PARK ETC. GET A GRIP WE NEED TO DUMP HIM
Either Mr. Kohbarger doesn’t have a clue in terms of the structure of Nye County, or the reporter repeatedly misquoted him (which I sincerely doubt). First, the “mines in Goldfield” do not provide income to Nye County. Goldfield is in Esmeralda County. Second, if the Board of Commissioners has control over what goes on the ballot, then how come all those marijuana questions make it on there without the board’s formal approval? Third, two of the commissioners do not “represent northern Nevada”. I checked with the county clerk’s office, and all five commission districts include a portion of Pahrump. The individual commissioners may be elected by district, but all of those districts include a portion of Pahrump so therefore, they ALL represent Pahrump. If Mr. Kohbarger’s statements are any indication, this town is NOT ready for incorporation and never will be until the voters elect, and the town board selects, competetent leadership with a comprehensive understanding of their role in the government structure.
In my opinion, Sheriff DeMeo did nothing wrong by sharing information that should have been shared when the town board met. If Mr. Kohbarger’s goals and objectives are public information, then the actions that he takes to meet them should be, too.
No to mention Ms Parker, who should resign. It appears to me that she violated Pahrump Town Board Policy 9.1 which states ” A single Member of the Town Board may only act for the Board with prior authority granted by an action of the Board in an open meeting, for a particular situation or time period.”
I wonder what it cost US, the taxpayers to have the town attorney go along with them. He doesn’t do it for free. Wonder who signs that bill….probably Bill.
I Quote: “Kohbarger also said that the mines in Goldfield represent about 20-24 percent of the county’s income”
Uh, Komrade Kohbarger? Sir, Goldfield is in ESMERALDA County, not ours. As the Town Manager, this is REALLY an embarrassment that you would even think this. Do you have access to a map of the County that you work in? Look it up, it’s true!
So, Mr Kohbarger, how much did this little junket cost us? Three people, including an Attorney, airfare, hotel rooms, food, rental car, salaries – I’m just sayin’…
Listen, if you don’t think that you should have to tell “everyone” (us) what you are up to, don’t you think you should at least tell the Town Board Members (your direct bosses)? And I mean ALL of them.
I could go on – but is isn’t necessary. When Tony DeMeo brought your upcoming little junket to light, you couldn’t answer him, you just looked at him like a proverbial deer in the headlights. Your reaction spoke a thousand words – and none of them said the truth. If your junket was above board why couldn’t you speak up then and there?
No, I’m done. NO more survey$, NO more studie$, NO more poll$. In fact, NO more Bill Kohbarger! This endless waste of money has to stop! I think Bill Kohbarger is a terrible Town Manager, the way he presents himself, the way he addresses others, it’s no wonder the last town he worked for had it out for him – and the majority of the voters there wanted nothing more than for Bill Kohbarger to leave. I think Bill Kohbarger causes more problems than he solves! Why a previous Pahrump Town Board even hired him in the first place is still a mystery to me.
The right way to have gone about this would have been an attempt to put the question of incorporation on the ballot FIRST. If it passed, then you could do your poll$, your studie$, your survey$ and your roundtables. This is what we call a Democratic Process – the foundation of the American way. Maybe Mr Bill Kohbarger could look it up – after he gets done studying his maps.
DeMeo needs to realize he doesn’t run everything. Finding out information is really very different than submitting the paperwork. Maybe, Mr. DeMeo could actually do some work and not just shoot off his mouth. I say if we really think about voting someone out, then vote out DeMeo!
Demeo wasn’t trying to run anything. He was informed that night that this behind the back scheme was going to happen. He was just the one who busted the Parker, Kohbarger, and Campbell bubble. If he hadn’t asked it was obvious this would have happened without ANYBODYS knowledge. Funny how Shuup and Dolan “missed” that meeting.
Thanks Tony !!!!! for this and everything else you do for our town and county.
Yay, again, for our Sheriff exposing the circumvention of proper and ethical procedure and downright sneakiness of the “Town Manager”, whose name I don’t even like to have pass my lips. Maybe he should consider moving back to Loveland, Ohio, and repair the damage that was left behind there, before even beginning to think about “managing” other towns. Better yet, maybe he should go back to Port Clinton and write his “memoirs.”
The Gold Mine is in Round Mountain, 45 Minutes or so north of Tonopah in the Smokey Mountains. A beautiful Valley that sets at 6,000 ft or so. With Gold Selling at $1,200 an ounce, the Commissioners need to figure out how to get more of the State Taxes collected from the Gold Mine.
Not to Mention did anyone realize that Railroad Valley in Nye County at one time had the Largest Single Producing Well Head in the Country? Nye County has also been battling the State for years to get a Fair Share of the Taxes Collected from the Oil. Did you know Nye County also has an Refinery??? Yes we do and most of, if not all of, the fuel is purchased by Round Mountain Gold. According to the US Energy Information Administration they have the Capacity to Refine 2,000 barrels of oil per day while one of the Largest in Baytown, TX can Process 500,000 barrels per day.
I believe that the Incorporation issue has been address much later than the year 2000. Example:
http://www.pahrumpnv.org/images/uploads/downloads/res-2005-resolutions-1.pdf
this is an interesting read.
Paul, the mine is in the big Smoky (no “e”) Valley between the Toquima and Toiyabe ranges. The Smokey Mountains run along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. But you’re right about that valley. I’ve been there several times and it’s one of the most beautiful in Nye County. As for taxes, Round Mountain Gold already pays an enormous amount of taxes to Nye County (sales, net proceeds of mines, real and personal property)and provides excellent salaries with full benefits packages to more than 700 employees and their families. And I don’t know about the Railroad Valley wellhead legend, but that part of the county does have some of the richest oilfields in the state. Round Mountain Gold however, does not purchase their fuel from that refinery (I think it’s Foreland). They used to many, many years ago but not any more. I understand that the commissioners have tried repeatedly over the years to pass bills that would provide some tax revenue to Nye County based on production, but they’ve never been successful. The state deposits it all in some kind of education fund, the majority of which goes to support the bloated Clark County School District.
People in every country take the home loans from various banks, just because it is easy.