Kristaponis to run for Lyon commissioner

After being fired by the Lyon County Commissioners, former county manager Donna Kristaponis has decided to try and join their ranks.

Kristaponis will make a formal announcement of her candidacy for the District 1 seat now held by Bob Milz at 6 p.m. Feb. 29 at the Dayton Valley Golf and Country Club at Legado.

Milz was one of three commissioners who voted Feb. 15, 2007, to dismiss Kristaponis from her job. The others were Don Tibbals and Phyllis Hunewill. LeRoy Goodman and Larry McPherson voted against the firing.

Kristaponis said her campaign was not in retaliation for her dismissal.

"Not at all," she said. "I care very strongly for the county, and my understanding was that Bob (Milz) was term limited. He may test that, I don't know. I think I have a lot to offer the voters.

She said she hopes residents come to lend their support to her campaign.

Kristaponis said she will lay out her reasons for running and the issues she will focus on at the formal announcement.

She took office as county manager in July 2004, and was involved in many of the changes in the county. Under her tenure the county opened the Dayton substation, put water and sewer masterplans into effect, hired a county planning director and oversaw the beginnings of many subdivisions.

Milz said on the day of her dismissal that she kept information from the commissioners and refused to live in Yerington as reasons for her dismissal.

Milz has indicated he will seek another term, because since the term-limit law was passed for the second time in 1996, he feels he is eligible for another term. Mils was first elected in November 1996.

Goodman has said he won't run again after three terms, and Tibbals has said he hadn't decided.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.

Kristaponis TIMELINE

• July 6, 2004 - Donna Kristaponis' first day on the job as Lyon County manager

• Jan. 5, 2005 - Announces Dayton substation for Lyon County offices

• July 2006 - Kristaponis institutes controversial reorganization of Parks and Rec Division of Facilities Department

• Sept. 7, 2006 - Kristaponis asked to resign by commissioners Phyllis Hunewill and Bob Milz. She declines

• Sept. 29, 2006 - Public hearing on possible termination of employment of Kristaponis took place in the Lyon County Commission meeting room. Many staff members and residents spoke in support of Kristaponis. No one spoke in support of termination. Commissioners voted 5-0 to hire a facilitator to mediate differences

• October 2006 - Ruth Urban of Las Vegas was contracted to handle the facilitation. Mediation meetings were scheduled for Jan. 17 and March 21

• Dec. 29, 2006 - Lyon County Human Resources Director Steve Englert canceled Urban's contract after Kristaponis told him to tell Urban there was a possibility of cancellation and a retreat was planned. Kristaponis said Milz told her to put the cancellation on the agenda

• Jan. 2, 2007 - Commissioners voted to cancel Urban's contract in favor of a retreat with the county manager. No date was set for the retreat

• Jan. 24, 2007 - Commissioners voted to hold a workshop to review the county manager ordinance. The workshop was to take place Feb. 22

• Feb. 7, 2007 - Commissioner Don Tibbals put an item on the draft agenda to terminate the employment of Kristaponis and hire an interim county manager

• Feb. 15, 2007 - Kristaponis was fired by the Lyon County Commission on a 3-2 vote. Bob Hadfield was named interim county manager. Later, Dennis Stark was appointed to the post

• April 1, 2007 - Kristaponis filed a complaint against the Lyon County Commissioners alleging violation of the state's open meeting law, saying they discussed her dismissal amongst themselves before taking action in the Feb. 15 meeting

• June 12, 2007 - The Nevada Attorney General's office dismisses the open-meeting law complaint.