By Rachel Dahl
Candidates for federal, county and city offices appeared before Fernley voters last week at a candidate forum at the Fernley Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon, answering questions on public safety, growth, infrastructure, government transparency, taxes and the role of local government as the Tuesday primary election approaches.
The forum included candidates for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, Lyon County district attorney, sheriff, two county commission seats, Fernley City Council and mayor. Candidates were asked both prepared questions and rapid-fire questions, with a short audience question period at the end.
The 2nd Congressional District race drew attention because the seat is open for the first time in years following the retirement of Congressman Mark Amodei. In the portion of the transcript available, congressional candidates focused heavily on energy, federal lands, agriculture, national security and the role of the federal government.
Mike Smith said northern Nevada should be paying close attention to energy independence and emerging technologies, including enhanced geothermal energy and the power needs of AI data centers. James Settelmeyer said communities should look for ways to diversify local economies while congress reduces overregulation on small businesses, ranchers and farmers.
During a rapid-fire question asking what decisions candidates would delegate and what they would never delegate, Settelmeyer said public lands decisions should be pushed down to local authorities, while national security must remain a federal responsibility, the federal government should focus on its constitutional responsibilities, with other powers left to the states under the 10th Amendment. Sherman Tylawsky said public trust, constitutional duties and accountability cannot be delegated by someone elected to serve the public.
The Lyon County district attorney race featured Mario Walther and Mark Krueger, who were asked about their top priorities if elected. Walther said staffing would be his first priority, saying the DA’s office has been short attorneys for years. He said he has experience building a prosecutor’s office and wants to recruit and develop effective trial attorneys. He also said child safety must be “a given” in Lyon County, and that he would work to improve communication among agencies.
Krueger said he would focus on improving support and communication for crime victims, including establishing a victim-witness advocate to help victims navigate the court system. He also said he would strengthen partnerships with law enforcement and expand public awareness around scams, fraud and AI-related schemes. Krueger said his experience as a prosecutor, chief deputy district attorney and chief deputy attorney general would allow him to begin work immediately.
During a later question about outdated processes, Krueger said the DA’s office needs to embrace technology and electronic discovery. Walther responded during the audience tax question that Lyon County has already had electronic discovery for seven or eight years and said voters deserve accurate information.
Sheriff Brad Pope, who is running for reelection, said his top priorities are to continue lowering crime, maintain fast and responsible response times, and increase traffic stops. Pope said those efforts work together as part of an aggressive law enforcement mission. He said Fernley had previously been one of the highest turnover squads in the department, but that staffing has stabilized, with 19 deputies now assigned in Fernley.
Asked what process should be modernized, Pope pointed to concealed carry weapon permit processing, saying the sheriff’s office could turn permits around quickly if not for the wait on federal background checks.
County commission candidates – Commission District 2, Scott Keller (incumbent) and Davy Stix; and District 5, Mark Jones, Cole Mortensen, Mark Phillips and Micah Triplett – were asked what priority they would fund if they had to increase spending, and what they would cut to do it. Public safety dominated the answers.
Phillips said he would first look across county departments for efficiencies rather than simply shifting money from one area to another. He said his background in manufacturing taught him to regularly review departments to find ways to be more productive with existing staff and resources.
Triplett said public safety would always be his top priority because it is critical infrastructure and a cornerstone of a successful economy. He said Lyon County should look for interlocal agreements and other ways to improve resource efficiency without cutting services residents rely on.
Jones also said safety is the top concern for residents and that first responders need support. He called for a line-by-line budget review to determine which programs and services are still necessary and said the county must find ways to fund the sheriff’s department without simply asking residents for more money.
Mortensen said every county and agency in Nevada faces funding challenges, and that difficult budget decisions must be made transparently with community input. He said officials need to understand how cuts or funding decisions affect each community, including public safety, jobs and livelihoods.
Keller said public safety has been his top priority during his time on the commission, followed by infrastructure. Keller said he has experience working at the state and national level and pointed to federal funding he said he has helped bring back to the community.
Stix said he would not increase spending unless it was truly needed to help the public and would not decrease spending unless it was necessary for the budget.
When asked to describe an unpopular short-term decision that could benefit the county long-term, several commission candidates turned to data centers, solar projects and growth.
Stix said data centers are one of the biggest issues facing the county and argued Lyon County should prepare for them rather than allow Storey County to capture all of the opportunity. He said the county should require mitigation for impacts, including power demands, while recognizing that data centers are likely here to stay.
Keller said the issue is broader than data centers or solar fields. He said people often want quick decisions, but the commission sometimes needs more studies and information before acting. He said the long-term impact on families and quality of life matters more than quick successes.
Mortensen said the county needs strong planning and permitting systems to deal with emerging technologies, energy projects and growth. He said data centers are controversial, but residents already use services that rely on them, and the question is whether Lyon County can structure them to benefit the community.
Jones spoke about agriculture and private property rights, saying farmers need the flexibility to adapt, including vertical greenhouses that can grow more food with less water. He said outside groups should not dictate what farmers can do with their land.
Triplett said the county needs stricter standards to ensure infrastructure is ready before growth arrives. He said new projects should not become a burden on residents and said Lyon County needs better coordination among communities, special districts and municipalities. He also said the county should push back at the state level on tax abatements when necessary to make sure new projects cover the cost of services.
Phillips said the county sometimes needs to “pump the brakes” and make sure a project provides a net benefit before moving forward, because some decisions cannot easily be reversed.
City Council candidates for Ward 1, Ryan Hanan, the incumbent, Debbie Skinner, and Gregory Barrett, as well as candidates for Ward 3, Ryan Cross and Alisa Rhyno were asked about city priorities, funding and long-term improvements.
Hanan said the city is focused on a balanced budget, infrastructure needs and services residents want, including animal services. He said Fernley’s long-term goal should be to become a place where people can “live, work and play,” with more good-paying jobs so fewer residents have to commute. He said the city should recruit businesses that pay wages allowing people to live in Fernley.
Barrett said his first priority would be roads, beginning with the worst roads based on the city’s pavement condition index. He said the biggest issue facing the city is growth and that new development must pay its fair share through impact fees so existing residents are not left carrying the burden.
Rhyno said communication is one of the city’s biggest issues. She said when residents are not given clear information, they create their own scenarios, which leads to frustration and mistrust. She said the city needs to push out transparent and concise information so residents understand what is being discussed.
Skinner said she would prioritize parks and recreation, quality of life and infrastructure. If funding had to come from somewhere else, she said she would review overhead, salaries and wages to determine whether staff are being used to their full potential.
Cross said he would increase funding for public safety, including police and fire services. He said those agencies appear stressed and need support. To pay for it, he said the city should look for efficiencies inside City Hall, including reducing paper-heavy bureaucratic processes and using automation where appropriate.
Asked about an unpopular short-term decision that would benefit Fernley in the long term, Cross said City Hall needs a cultural shift from a “bureaucratic gatekeeper” mindset to a customer-service approach. He said residents and business owners should not feel City Hall is an obstacle, and he called for accountability standards, retraining and possible department restructuring.
Rhyno said charging developers and industrial businesses additional fees may be unpopular with developers, realtors and industry, but could create needed funds for infrastructure. She also said code enforcement is unpopular but should be discussed through the lens of public safety.
Mayoral candidates Neal McIntyre, Tim Bickerton, John Barchie and Alexis Colosi were asked to describe their leadership styles and the difficult decisions they believe previous city leaders have avoided.
McIntyre described his leadership style as practical and community-centered. He said leadership means listening, building relationships and staying focused on results. He said he has lived in Fernley his entire life and believes the mayor is responsible to everyone who lives in the city.
Bickerton said his leadership style is straightforward, direct, honest and open-minded. He said he listens to residents and wants people to know their concerns are being taken seriously.
Barchie pointed to his leadership training and said he understands how to manage staff. He said he was disappointed in how the current council has handled staff issues and said the solution is often placing people in the right positions. He said he wants a smoother city staff operation and stronger leadership as Fernley negotiates with incoming businesses.
Colosi described her leadership style as collaborative, transparent and results-oriented. She said her experience as a nurse and veteran taught her to make critical decisions under pressure while working as part of a team. She said Fernley’s challenges around growth, public safety and infrastructure require listening to residents and working with staff and community organizations.
Asked what difficult decision previous leaders have avoided, Colosi said the city must balance growth with the long-term cost of infrastructure and services. She said development should pay its fair share so taxpayers and small businesses are not left carrying the burden.
Barchie said transparency is the city’s biggest problem. He said residents often do not know what the city is doing or thinking, and said Fernley should pursue slow, appropriate growth that fits the community rather than copying other cities.
Bickerton said city government has treated businesses and residents with indifference and overreach. He said staff need to understand they work for the people of Fernley and are not there to control the city.
McIntyre said the avoided conversation is the true cost of growth. He said residents want better roads, parks, water, sewer and public services, but those require planning, funding, staffing and tough choices. He said leadership means being honest about what is needed, what it costs, what the city can afford and what grants or partnerships are being pursued.
County candidates were also asked what outdated process they would modernize. The most common answer was permitting. Phillips, Triplett, Jones, Mortensen, Keller and Stix all pointed in some way to planning, permitting, conditional use permits, interlocal agreements or the use of technology and AI to make county government more efficient and business friendly.
City candidates were asked what Fernley asset is not talked about enough. Hanan and Cross pointed to Fernley’s location and logistics advantages, including rail and highway access. Barrett pointed to potential revenue tied to Victory Logistics District. Skinner said city employees are an underrecognized asset. Rhyno said Fernley’s sense of community is one of its strengths. McIntyre said the city’s people are its greatest asset. Bickerton said Fernley should do more with tourism, including sports tournaments, racing events and rodeo. Barchie said land is Fernley’s most valuable asset. Colosi said Fernley’s freedom and outdoor way of life should be protected.
Audience questions focused on work-from-home policies for city employees and taxes.
On remote work, most city candidates said customer-facing city employees should generally be in City Hall and available to residents. Hanan said some flexibility may be needed for retention and family circumstances, but he wants residents to be able to get answers when they come to City Hall. Skinner, Cross, McIntyre and Bickerton said employees should generally be present in the office. Rhyno noted ADA accommodations may be required in some cases. Barchie and Colosi said the answer depends on the position, but public-facing roles should be available to the public.
Councilman Albert Torres asked candidates how they could promise to raise or lower taxes when Nevada municipalities and counties operate under Dillon’s Rule and do not have broad home-rule authority over taxation.
Several city candidates said they understood the city cannot simply raise or lower taxes, but said Fernley can pursue impact fees, efficiencies and additional revenue tied to growth. Hanan said the city has used tools available to it, including removing a water and sewer fee from property tax bills after balancing the water budget. Barrett and Skinner pointed to impact fees for development. Cross said the city needs efficiencies and creative revenue sources.
Commission candidates generally said the issue is less about changing tax rates and more about growing the tax base, improving efficiency and working through the Legislature when needed. Stix said the county needs more businesses and assessed value on the tax rolls. Keller said he works through county associations at the state and national level because Dillon’s Rule requires many revenue issues to be addressed at the Legislature. Jones said he is not campaigning on cutting taxes, but on attracting the right mix of businesses. Triplett said the county should work at the Legislature to make sure abatements for large companies do not leave local governments unable to fund infrastructure. Mortensen said making the county more business-friendly would grow the base without increasing taxes.
Primary election voting will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall.
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