GENERAL ELECTION GUIDE: Lyon County Clerk-Treasurer

NIKKI BRYAN

Party: Republican

Mailing Address:717 E. Bridge St., Yerington, NV 89447

Telephone:(775) 463-4216

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

I am a lifelong resident of Lyon County. I have been married to my husband for 41 years and we have two grown daughters. We were in business for a total of 27 years, starting with a service station/repair shop and expanding the business to include a motel and 7 rental houses.

I started working for Lyon County 22 years ago, my first job being administrative assistant to the county manager. In 1998, after 10 years in that position, I ran for and won the position of Lyon County Clerk/Treasurer which I have since held. I have a Certificate of Professional Development in Public Management and also became a Certified Public Official in 1999 through the University of Nevada Reno. I continue to stay involved in the community. For the last 12 years I have been on the Board of Directors for Yerington Theater for the Arts. I have served as treasurer for this organization for several years. Some other organizations I belong to are: Association of County Treasurers of Nevada, Nevada Association of County Clerks and County Election Officials, County Fiscal Officers Association, National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks, National Association of County Treasurers and Lyon County Leadership Team.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

I have operated and will continue to operate the office of county clerk/treasurer with experienced, efficient and caring service which the residents of Lyon County deserve. The state and county cutbacks have affected each county office, but I will continue to strive for the most cost effective service available. I am always conservative in the money I spend from my budget. I often get compliments from the public on how well my office is run and how friendly and knowledgeable my staff is.

Last year's lay-offs and furloughs have been and will continue to be a challenge. The amount of work has not changed and we are doing it with fewer people and less hours. Closing the Dayton office has allowed me to consolidate services in order to better serve taxpayers, including businesses. My office accepts phone calls with a toll-free number from northern and central areas of the county, faxes, mail and e-mails as a convenience to county residents to do business without traveling to the county seat. Serving the public is always top priority with me and I am always willing to take phone calls.

Elections and redistricting will be challenging in the next few years and I am prepared and experienced to deal with those issues.

Why should voters choose you over other candidate?

Since I took office and have been the Lyon County Clerk/Treasurer, my office has seen many changes. Some of the major changes include a new business license program, a new county voter registration system, a statewide voter registration system, a new voting system (touch screen voting machines), redistricting the commissioners' districts and huge increases in population, voters, parcels and court cases. Technology continues to evolve and every year our computer programs are updated to streamline our work. With over 32,000 parcels, over 29,000 voters, and approximately 2,500 business, liquor and gaming licenses, it is important to use technology to make the job easier and faster. During my term, I have also initiated early voting in other areas of the county in addition to the county seat. Participation in early voting continues to grow and I try to accommodate that.

I am the only candidate in this race that has prior business experience, prior government experience and prior supervisory experience. I know how county government should work and how to get things accomplished. My experience is critically important in performing the duties of this office. I am a hard worker and have always been willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

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HEIDE CRUZ

Party: Republican

Mailing Address: PO Box 363, Dayton, NV 89403

Telephone: 775-721-2288

E-mail: cruz4clerk@gmail.com

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

I have several years experience working as an escrow officer. In my position I was responsible for handling millions of dollars worth of mortgages and balancing files with mortgage brokers and lenders. This experience taught me to review documents line by line and eliminate unnecessary fees and waste, where needed. I will bring my strong work ethic to the position as well as my high moral principles and professional standards. I feel I am eminently qualified for this position because I am dedicated to serving the needs of Lyon County's taxpayers and business owners.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

My main focus is serving the people of Lyon County. I plan to do this by using modern technology to bring our county up to date. I feel the Clerk/Treasurer's Office is currently lacking in the area of customer service and I plan to update current process procedures in order to save our customers time and money. Once this has been accomplished I hope that Lyon County will become a model that other counties can look to.

I feel the Clerk/Treasurer's Office would be more efficient by moving from the "paper age" into the "electronic age." By adding new technology we can cut costs by going paperless. We can also use this new technology to implement new, more efficient process procedures. We would not have to raise taxes in order to accomplish this.

Most importantly is the re-establishment of satellite offices in Fernley and Dayton. A community as large as Lyon County cannot sustain appropriate support with only one location to support our citizens and businesses.

Why should voters choose you over other candidate?

As Nevadans we are abundantly aware of the difficult economic times we live in. Citizens are struggling and losing their homes and jobs at a rate never before seen. Businesses are being lost at an astounding rate. Nowhere is this more evident than in Lyon County. We cannot continue to sit idly by and allow citizens and businesses to suffer and fall by the wayside. We must learn to do more with less. We cannot continue business as usual. Small business is the cornerstone of America. Our federal, state and local governments should be working to provide every tool and advantage to allow its citizens to not only survive, but to grow and flourish. The people of Lyon County must be the first concern.