Nye County Assessor’s Past Liens and Tax Issues

The problems of Nye County, Nevada’s Assessor is increasing. For those you who may be following this story you may remember Eradicating Nye County’s Bigotry in The Nevada View last August 10. It is now being revealed that the Tax Assessor, Shirley Matson, has a long history of tax problems, mechanic liens, and debts in California before she was elected to be the current Assessor of Nye County.

Nye County’s largest newspaper, the Pahrump Valley Times, reports today that public records show that Matson has had problems paying her debts as far back as 1991. A “concerned citizen” of Pahrump obtained the records and turned them over to the Times. The public records are in Matson’s hometown, in San Diego County, California. The Times confirmed the authenticity of the records.

“A document recorded on Jan.22, 1991 by the SanDiego County Recorder’s Office indicates a federal tax lien was slapped on Matson for failure to pay $1,231.72 in income taxes due in 1988.”

“Also in January 1991 according to a search of San Diego County Recorder records, Matson was notified that an assessment lien was being placed on her San Diego home for failure to pay HOA fees in the amount of $765.10.”

On September 21, 1995 the State of California placed a lien on Matson for non-payment of $256 in franchise taxes in 1993.

November 7, 1995 another document shows Matson was notified of a new federal tax lien for failure to pay income taxes in 1992 and 1993 in the amount of $8,613.38.

Records in the Nye County Recorder’s office show a mechanic’s lien was filed against Matson and a man in in 2008 for non-payment of $1,200 for work performed in 2007. The lien was recorded for installing doors and other carpentry work inside Matson’s home.

Another lien was recorded against Matson in 2008 by Champion Drywall Inc., of Costa Mesa. The lien is recorded in the Nye County Recorder’s office for $3,830 worth of painting work done on Matson’s home, for non-payment.

The “concerned citizen” is quoted as writing, “Her most recent allegations that she has hired a private investigator to look into people (a statement made by Matson on Donna Cox’s CCSC (Concerned Citizens for a Safe Community) radio show on August 5, 2011,” he said, “I began to ask myself, what do we really know about Matson?” Continuing, the letter read “Based upon the multiple contradictions in the stories told by her — I began wondering about Matson’s past. What I found is shocking.”

Tax assessors are the people who file liens against Nye County citizens who don’t pay their county taxes, noted the Pahrump Valley Times.

Matson “wouldn’t take a phone call” at her office Thursday (yesterday). A subordinate said Matson would FAX a response to the Times. No FAX had been received by press time, according to the Times.

The “concerned citizen” is quoted as saying “The information I have found suggests that Matson has a considerable history of personal fiscal irresponsibility and her ability to perform her assigned duties is highly questionable.”

Which leads me to wonder, how did she get elected?” The quality of elected officials is determined by voters. Voters who are not informed about elective candidates cannot make valid judgments before they cast their vote. We’re probably all better off if uninformed voters didn’t vote at all. Of course, that might mean the end of voting. Nonetheless, enough Nye County voters voted for Matson to put her in charge of assessing the tax value of their properties. Perhaps the heads of voters should be examined to see if they are qualified to vote, irrespective of where they were born.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Lopez of Pahrump marches on gathering signatures on a Petition to Recall Matson, to cure the mistake of Nye County’s voters. Aided by a numbers of volunteers, she indicated today she needs 2,000 more signatures on the Petition for success in a recall. Only about 46 days left. If you are interested in following Lopez’s progress you can visit her Facebook page called Positive Pahrump. If you live in Nye County you can sign the petition yourself. Just contact Mrs. Lopez on Facebook. Every signature counts.

For those who may never have been to Pahrump you can read the comments to the Pahrump Valley Times article today and get a flavor of the nature of the inhabitants of Pahrump.