For a moment it looked as if Nye County commissioners might accept a scaled-back flood-control plan Tuesday, governed by a general improvement district.

But a request by County Commission Chairman Joni Eastley for a motion of approval died in silence.

Nye County Public Works Director Samson Yao presented a more phased-in plan, in which Pahrump property owners would be assessed a monthly fee of $5 per parcel initially, then jumping to $28 per month by the fifth year, when a $167 million bond would be issued.

After 10 years, in 2018, the monthly assessment would jump to $43 per parcel until the 20th year. Another $100 million bond would be floated in 2022.

But the sentiment of the public was overwhelmingly against the assessments.

Consultant Don Allison of Bureau Veritas, presented the good, better and best options. The "good" plan would cost $160 million, probably take five to 10 years to construct and include the nine dams on Wheeler Wash and a series of retention basins east of Highway 160.

The "better" and "best" plans would cost more money, with the "best" project a $315 million extravaganza that would channel the flood water into California.

Eastley asked Nye County Chief Civil Deputy District Attorney Ron Kent if the county is obligated to protect residents from flooding.

"For elected leadership this is the most fundamental obligation and duty. It falls to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the valley. It's foresight, it's leadership," Kent said.

He pointed to the expense required in Las Vegas Valley to correct flooding after its development, but didn't want to address the county's potential liability.

"There's room for more reduction in the fee if there's more development in this town," Yao said. He noted the parcel fee was pessimistic, as it only included the present number.

Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver had concerns the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wouldn't approve half the cost of the $40 million to build the nine Wheeler Wash dams, what Allison called the most serious flood-control issue.

"If they see that you have adopted your flood-control plan or your service plan and that you're proceeding, that counts for a lot of points to them. They see the community is proceeding on their own and they want to step up to the plate," Allison said. "The local Los Angeles District has told us this project has looked very good to them."

Commissioner Butch Borasky said after the vote he'd still like to bring the issue back for another ballot, in light of possible funding by the state legislature for flooding control in Pahrump.

Bond counsel Kendra Follett, of the law firm of Swenseid and Stern, said the assessment fees couldn't be charged until the GID board was created.

"You have to set forth the universe of financing vehicles," she said.

Pahrump Regional Planning Commission Chairman Mark Kimball said the RPC endorsed having county commissioners serve as the GID. But John McDonald, who recently stepped down from the Pahrump Town Board, objected to having commissioners who live 250 miles away voting on Pahrump flood-control measures.

"Maybe we need to learn a lesson from Las Vegas. We constantly hear people say they moved here to get away from all that. Well, let's also move here to get away from all their errors. They're spending hundreds of millions of dollars from the error of not having a flood-control plan," Kimball said.

But Johnny Walker, who complained his three minutes of allotted time were less than it took to make a soft-boiled egg, eloquently blasted the plan as "a project worthy of a pharaoh."

Walker said an idea that began with a couple commissioners talking about moving a couple of big boulders to block up Wheeler Wash, put in some re-bar and concrete for a dam, ballooned into a $315 million project.

"There has never been a general improvement district or special needs district that has not built something," Walker said. "If you commit to creating a general improvement district you have set us on a path to the biggest increase in taxes that we're ever going to see in this valley."

Walker said if there is a possibility the dams could offer a water recreation facility envisioned by Commissioners Gary Hollis and Peter Liakopoulos, the entire county should pay for it.

He suggested the federal government could also pay for flood-control improvements, adding, "Hoover Dam was not paid for by the taxpayers of Clark County."

David Stevens remarked, "This town isn't worth $500 million as far as I'm concerned." He called Pahrump "a poor man's town."

John Koenig said he only pays $30 annually for flood insurance.

"I don't live on Winery Road because I don't want to be flooded out," he said.

Art Jones suggested if county officials feel they can design a flood-proof plan, they should go to New Orleans.

John Cateron said Pahrump shouldn't start imposing big tax burdens, like California. He pledged to lead a tax revolt if it was enacted.

"The cost that is being anticipated for this is so out of line with the potential harm. Most of this valley is not within a flood plain," said Realtor Bob Little. "There are other areas in this valley where water never goes."

Allison told Liakopoulos it could cost a ballpark figure of $60 million to construct just the improvements for Wheeler Wash protecting the Winery Road area.

There were only two speakers endorsing the plan.

Rick Walker, a member of the capital improvements committee, said Pahrump Valley will continue to grow. The county has the choice to protect it or not, Walker said, noting it's human nature for people to protect their house.

"If we do not protect it, we're going to end up in a situation we're going to continually pay for the cleanup if Mother Nature tries to hurl at us that 100-year storm or 500-year storm," Walker said.

While the cost would be expensive, he said the county has the option of choosing a Volkswagen plan, a Chevrolet plan or a Cadillac plan.

Consultant Walt Kuver said the fully engineered flood-control plan gave the county "a nice negotiating tool for future development agreements. Perhaps some of this can be done by the developers."

But Carver summed up the apparent mood of the board: "I would like to protect you from everything that may ever happen. But this country didn't rely on government to do things for them. They relied on themselves."