The Pahrump Town Board began establishing a process to select the next town manager at its April 8 meeting.

As part of the process, the board approved a panel of both community members and town administrators to help select applicants.

The community members appointed to the panel (from a list Murray and McDonald had prepared prior to the meeting) are Al Balloqui, the town's economic development coordinator and chairman of the Pahrump Alliance Valley Economic Development organization; Kari Frilot, representing the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce; Selwyn Harris, Channel 41's news anchorman; and Bill Verbeck, an educator and resident of Pahrump.

Town representatives will include Murray, Don Rust, Interim Town Manager and Finance Director Michael Sullivan, Fire Chief Scott Lewis and Director of Buildings and Grounds Matt Luis.

Rust abstained from the vote appointing town administrators to the panel because he said he did not want to vote for himself.

Thirty-five applications had been received but were already pared down to 22 by Chairman Laurayne Murray and Vice Chairman John McDonald by the meeting.

Murray and McDonald went through the applicants and selected them based on the minimum education and experience requirements listed in the ad.

The board also authorized Murray and McDonald to go through the 22 applicants and further pare them down to a more manageable number.

In addition, the board approved a selection process.

The panel would create a series of questions for the top tier candidates and then participate in an oral exam of those candidates.

During the week of April 14 the panel will draft materials and conduct telephone interviews and identify a primary pool of the most desirable candidates.

A list of the most desired candidates is expected to be presented to the town board at its April 22 meeting.

The final candidates will be invited to visit Pahrump from April 28 to May 5 for final interviews with the town board.

A new manager is expected to be selected at either the May 13 or 27 meeting.

Art Jones, concerned citizen, approached the podium twice during the selection process and asked that Murray remove herself from the panel.