Bright future for improving Fallon

The city of Fallon has a bright future with passionate men and women working behind the scenes.

Fallon residents in June re-elected Mayor Ken Tedford and council members Bob Erickson and Kelly Frost. All three candidates ran unopposed.

Tedford said he enjoys serving the residents and always will.

“I wake up thinking how can I improve the city,” he said. “There will always be things to accomplish and ways to help the residents of Fallon. My love for the city and the people who live here has never changed over the years.”

He said many projects are determined by the budget and grants that the city are able to obtain.

All three of the elected officials noted the rehabilitation of the sewer manholes will be one of the biggest projects for the city starting this year. Tedford said all of the manholes will be restored but the work will take some time to be completed due to the large number of manholes.

Erickson, who said he has worked in local government most of his life, said the city is on a progressive track and he would like to see it continue. He said over the last 20 years the city has grown in positive ways.

“There are a lot of to do’s on the city’s wish list but our budget decides a lot of what can be done,” he said. “One of the things I’ve appreciated the most is the city’s commitment to improving the buildings they own, instead of building new ones. I think one way of better serving the citizens and I’d like to see that direction continue.”

Erickson said the great thing about public service is being able to associate with “great” people not only the individuals who work for the city but also the residents he represents.

Frost agreed with Erickson adding both colleagues and residents make the job worth it. She said it has been an amazing experience being a councilwoman for the city and learning much about Fallon and its inner workings.

“I came on board when the city was getting ready to start a lot of its current projects and I want to see them through,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed local government because you’re able to get things done quickly and you’re able to see the reward once it’s completed. Also, the city is forward thinking when solving problems and very proactive which I like.”

Frost sees the city continuing to be financially conservative with taxpayers’ money. She said city representatives work closely with different boards to ensure economic growth.

“Each representative sits on a few boards,” she said. “We get assigned to these board according to our interest.”

Frost sits on the Senior Center board, Churchill Economic Development Authority, Churchill Area Regional Transportation and Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority.

Tedford said the roads will continue to be maintained by the slurry seal project, and he added a South Taylor Street sidewalk project will hopefully take place soon. It will provide a safe walking path for students who walk to school.

The Fallon Underground Project managed by Rick Gray from FCTA and Abbi Whitaker from Abbi PR, is a new strategy that will help promote Fallon.

“This is designed to draw in people who live in the surrounding area,” he said. “Rick and Abbi will put on an event in Fallon, highlighting all of its amenities and those people that attend will go back and share what they have learned and hopefully bring people to the next event that is thrown. It’s a good way for us to network.”

Tedford has served as mayor since 1995 and was on city council for eight years prior to that. Tedford earns $32,002.80 yearly for his role. Erickson, who first served as a councilman from 1983-87, was elected mayor for two terms, 1987 and 1990. After taking what he calls a 10-year “vacation” from public service, Erickson has continued to serve as a councilman. Frost has been a city councilwoman for more than a year. She was selected last year to fill a city council seat after Rachel Dahl resigned on March 12, 2014, to become executive director of the Churchill Economic Development Authority. Erickson and Frost each earn $21,345.87 annually.