Southern Nevada Transit Coalition members want to get a public bus system started within the Pahrump Valley.

It would connect passengers with the Pahrump Senior Center, the Pahrump Express bus to and from Las Vegas and local businesses.

Coalition members see it as an economical means of transportation not only for senior citizens but also for employees commuting to work within Pahrump.

But Nye County Commissioner Butch Borasky said the county might consider some in-kind work or alternative financing but couldn't pay the $120,000 match for half the costs of the valleywide system.

"I know the town has supported this wholeheartedly but I think they have more money than we do. Right now we have a budget crisis. I'd hate to say flat out no," Borasky said.

Funding applications for the Federal Transportation Administration grant program for general population transit are due April 15, which would fund the other half of the bus system.

The Nevada Department of Transportation wants to update a 2005 study of Pahrump transit needs in light of current economic conditions, which would be funded by NDOT. Letters of support are also needed from the county, town of Pahrump and Pahrump Senior Center.

Commissioner Lorinda Wichman voted against even providing in-kind services as the county's portion of the local matching funds.

"I don't believe government should get involved in private business," Wichman said. "If we're going to subsidize private entities, I think we're setting ourselves up for additional problems down the road."

Wichman compared it to complaints over the county's subsidy of Pahrump Medical Center. Pablo Encinias remarked afterwards that, unlike PMC, the transit coalition is a non-profit entity.

"It's unrealistic to expect that a public transportation system could operate without public subsidization," Debbie Dauenhauer said angrily outside the Bob Ruud Community Center. "I never heard of a public transportation system that's not supported by taxpayer dollars."

The county could pay $20,450 of the $120,000 local match for in-kind services, things like a reduction in fuel prices or a facility for parking buses, Dauenhauer said.

The plan is to offer bus service seven hours per day, seven days per week, but Munro said those hours could be cut back initially to save money. Once the transportation system is established it could be expanded later if ridership improves, Dauenhauer said.

"There seems to be a strong, existing need. There's no transportation in Pahrump other than the senior center," Munro said.

Dauenhauer said they'd try again next year to get some county funding.

Local resident Art Jones supported the public transit proposal.

"You notice we have a lot of seniors around here, and I'm getting to be one. If we had transportation to pick up people back and forth, it makes it a lot easier on highways and byways in town to go to churches, go to stores, to do whatever they have to do," Jones said.

The plan was to use 22 passenger buses similar to the one used by Regent Holidays, Dauenhauer said. Passengers would pay a fee to ride. In Laughlin and Mesquite they are charged $1.50 one-way, with a reduced 75-cent fare for seniors, juveniles and the disabled.

Dauenhauer said the Northern Nevada Transit Coalition is looking into trying to restart a Las Vegas to Reno bus service.

Jason Chen, the owner of Regent Holidays was applauded for starting up a Pahrump-Las Vegas bus service, the Pahrump Express. Chen indicated he'd like to increase the number of departures to Las Vegas from four to six.

* Another person to walk away empty-handed was Paula Elefante, executive director of EDEN Inc., who wasn't given $5,000 she requested for part of the cost of the Nevada Small Business Development Center.

The center offers help to people who want to create a business plan to start or expand a business, among other services.

Elefante said she applied for local funds to match a $10,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant to cover part of the cost of running the Pahrump SBDC office in light of declining funding.

Again, Borasky said, "I'm a little concerned that if we keep giving $5,000 here, $10,000 there, different amounts, then we don't know what our budget is going to require next year."

Commissioner Joni Eastley chastized Elefante for a lack of accountability.

"We don't hear anything from you until you want money. That's my concern. Your organization is the organization this county has designated as its representative on economic development matters. You don't even give us a monthly report to tell us what the activities of the organization are," Eastley said.

EDEN receives $50,000 from the Nevada Commission on Economic Development. Eastley questioned how Elefante would get $5,000 from the town of Pahrump, which has cut off funding to EDEN, to make up the rest of the local match. The organization split off from Nye County several years ago and formed a separate nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.