Nye County commissioners gathered for a conference call Friday to consider notifying the Nevada Department of Taxation a property tax increase may be considered during upcoming budget hearings for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

But the idea ended up dying on the vine for lack of a motion.

The alternative to a tax hike could mean pay cuts for county employees, a four-day work week, even layoffs.

About 30 people crowded into the Nye County Administration building meeting room, where commissioners frequently hold special conference calls, usually no members of the public in attendance.

Commissioners were up against a deadline last Friday to provide the notice, effectively killing the chance a property tax increase will be proposed this year. The Nye County tax rate hasn't increased since 1999.

Assistant County Manager Pam Webster emphasized the vote would merely inform the Nevada Department of Taxation the commissioners may consider a tax change during the upcoming budget process over the next two months.

But budget workshops in recent years haven't been held in public -- only the final budget hearing at a county commissioners meeting.

"All today's action does is keep the option open to review the property tax structure when we go through the budget cycle," Webster said.

Commission Chairman Joni Eastley emphasized a tax increase would be a "last resort, last-ditch measure."

Webster said it's unknown right now whether changes under consideration by the Nevada Legislature will affect Nye County. She plans to give a report to the county commission March 3. So far, while the Legislature plans to grab property tax revenue from Clark and Washoe counties, the only significant impact to Nye County would be an obligation by the county to assume responsibility for the indigent accident fund.

"I'm assuming that one of the first things we would do is negotiate with the labor unions to either do voluntary pay cuts or to do something such as maybe eliminating the STEP increase for this year," Eastley said.

County employees get a negotiated rate increase through the collective bargaining units in their contract called STEP, which is usually 3.5 to 4 percent per year. On top of that, county employees receive a cost-of-living adjustment based on the annual consumer price index, which was actually at minus 1 percent in January.

The contract for the Nye County Employees Association, which covers most non-sworn employees, expires in June 2010.

Webster said the county could consider a four-day work week. She confirmed that layoffs were a possibility if there were no other alternatives.

"If we would be asking the hourly employees to make some concession, then we would certainly expect the same thing from the elected officials, including the county commissioners. We're the leaders, we set the example," Eastley said.

Audience member Bruce Calley noted the Nevada Senate just defeated a bill by State Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, to allow county commissioners, by a two-thirds vote, to enact a 4 cents per $100 increase in the property tax rate above the state cap to fund a regional juvenile detention center.

Jeff Wiest felt since property values have dropped 20 percent, county commissioners should lower the tax rate 20 percent.

"If we can shrink the government we can make it affordable for people to live in this valley," Wiest said.

Realtor Bob Little said since other communities in Nye County are at the maximum tax rate allowable by law, $3.65 per $100 of valuation -- like Manhattan, Tonopah, Round Mountain, Beatty, Gabbs and Amargosa Valley -- a tax increase would disproportionately affect Pahrump, with a combined tax rate of only $3.12 per $100.

Little said Best Buy just announced layoffs that day, adding that Best Buy, unlike Nye County, "can't extort money from customers."

James Oscarson complained about the special conference call in the small meeting room.

"Why is this meeting taking place in a conference room over a teleconference hearing, perhaps it should have been done in a bigger, larger forum where we could have addressed this in a manner that would be more suitable than crammed into this tiny room," Oscarson said.

Webster took responsibility, saying she was covering several jobs for the county and received a reminder about the notice from the Nevada Department of Taxation after the last commissioners agenda was prepared. Commissioners met in regular session at the Bob Ruud Community Center three days before, Feb. 17.

Realtor Audna Lang chimed in, "I'd like to remind staff as well as county commissioners there is an Open Meetings Law in the State of Nevada, and obviously somebody forgot that this morning or we wouldn't be sitting in this little, tiny room with people overflowing into the hallways."

She added, "To increase taxes at this time would be an undue burden on the majority of people living in this valley as well as the rest of the county."

Bill Kerr wanted to call attention to the fact the meeting was held in a 12-by-15-foot room.

"I don't think most of the commissioners realized we'd be here this morning," he said. "As a result of this meeting this morning, notifying the (state of the) increase of this tax change, all it would do is keep the door open for any tax increase."

While the meeting location was properly noticed according to the Nevada Open Meetings Act, commissioners have held a number of special meetings over conference call in the small meeting room at 401 S. Frontage Road to consider major items. There were 13 such conference calls last year, or more than one per month.

Commissioner Butch Borasky, the only other commissioner to comment during the conference call besides Eastley, made one brief remark, to remind the audience at one point, "Keep this in perspective -- we're not asking to raise taxes."

Borasky made a motion not to take any action, seconded by Commissioner Gary Hollis.

Eastley said the board didn't need to make that motion, commissioners could merely not make a motion at all.