Lance Kriegh Gary Budahl Advertisement

Nye County Treasurer Gary Budahl has charged his opponent, Lance Kriegh, didn't pay taxes for three years and is delinquent on his current year tax payments.

The accusation came during a candidates forum before the Pahrump Valley Rotary Club at the Saddle West Hotel and Casino last week.

Budahl's assertion drew some boos from the audience, who didn't like the negative campaigning.

But Budahl mocked Kreigh's campaign platform, noting that at the Amargosa Valley community center Oct. 15, Kriegh said, "I want to vigorously pursue the collection of taxes and the sale of property secured for taxes."

"My opponent was delinquent on his property taxes from January of 2003 to January of 2006 and is currently delinquent on his property taxes for the current year. Will he vigorously pursue the collection of his own taxes? I'd like to know," Budahl said.

Kriegh's tax records, released by the treasurer's office, show he has a tax bill of $787.93 due so far this year for the first two quarterly payments. The first payment was due Aug. 21, the second one Oct. 2.

Regarding his prior year taxes, treasurer's office records show Kriegh's property tax bill of $658, due on Oct. 9, 2002, gradually rose to $2,418 before a payment of $764.61 reduced that on April 19, 2004. The $1,653.41 balance rose to $3,453.94 by May 25, 2005, when a $1,801.97 payment reduced it back to $1,651.97. That figure then rose again to $3,333.16, which was paid in full Jan. 31, 2006.

The tax bill is in the name of the Kriegh Revocable Living Trust, which Kriegh blamed for the mishap.

"I don't think I'm a criminal, I've been checked out by a lot of people," Kreigh said at the Saddle West forum. "The tax thing happened because I had a son move in and out."

Kriegh said afterwards it was the fault of the person handling his family trust.

"I stand tall. It's my family, and I'll take my licks," Kriegh said afterwards.

He added at the campaign forum, "I sent the money in there, and it took over a month before it was ever cleared off of the records. So an efficient treasurer in the office, you ain't got."

Budahl has taken credit on the campaign trail for reducing the time tax payments are posted from four weeks to two weeks.

Among the other candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election, Pahrump Justice of the Peace candidate Kent Jasperson, is delinquent on his current year tax bill. He appears to owe a total of $189.82 for the first two quarterly payments on his property that were due Aug. 21 and Oct. 2 respectively. The only other delinquency is for Nye County Area Three school board candidate Mike Floyd, who is a little late on his second quarterly payments due Oct. 2, with a combined outstanding tax bill of $1,166 on eight properties.

Kriegh pointed out that Budahl lost the last election in 2002 to Pat Foster, who resigned. Budahl was then appointed treasurer in April 2005. But Kriegh joked that the Nye County Commissioners have been known to make mistakes, such as when they bought the Calvada Eye property and, more recently, approved the Focus Property Group development agreement.

Budahl said his job is to first be sure the county's investments are secure and, second, to make sure they earn the maximum rate. He added his budget has been reduced from $550,000 per year two years ago, to $490,000 this current year.

Kriegh criticized Budahl for not holding tax sales that brought in $1.6 million under his predecessor, Pat Foster.

"Yes, we have not have a tax auction in the 18 months I've been in office," Budahl replied during a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 10054 Saturday night. He said the county treasurer's office has to wait two years for previous owners to claim their land.

"There's approximately $850,000 (from the last tax sale) that's going to be turned over to the county general fund in November of this year," Budahl said. "That money really represents the profit that would've belonged to the owners of the property ... People are coming in and redeeming their property so they can keep it. I'd really rather see that happen."

But Kriegh said properties on which the county has placed liens are not on the county tax roll. Kriegh said Budahl doesn't want to do that, he wants to answer the phone and work the counter at the treasurer's office.

Krieg asked mockingly at the VFW Post, "Can you find someone who wants to be a counter service clerk for $65,000 per year?"

Budahl said he brings a hard work ethic to the position, putting eight hours per day, five days per week.

A small amount of interest can mean a lot of money when the county is investing tens of millions of dollars, Kriegh said.

"The best thing is the investments, which he has refused to talk about this whole campaign," Kriegh said at the VFW gathering.

When contacted about the investments, Budahl said $27 million of county funds is invested in a mutual fund affiliated with Nevada State Bank drawing 5.08 percent interest; $62 million in a Mellon investment account in U.S. Treasury bonds, invested in the Federal National Mortgage Association or Fannie Mae, with interest rates of 4.5 percent to 6 percent in funds invested since he took office; as well as $500,000 in the local government investment pool, drawing 5.18 percent.