The position of Mayor requires not only leadership skills but civic involvement in our community and state. Throughout my life, starting in high school in Carson City, I have strived to achieve leadership responsibilities and acquit those responsibilities in a civil, thoughtful and responsible manner. In that regard, I offer the following:
I served 11 years on the Carson City School Board. During my term as president, the Board received the 2006 School Board of the Year award from the Nevada Association of School Boards.
I was appointed five times by two governors to the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, a state agency that oversees Nevada’s allocation of water and power from the Colorado River, serving four times as chair of that agency.
In 2012 I was appointed by Governor Sandoval to chair his Sage Grouse Advisory Committee.
I have served as President of the State Bar of Nevada and am the recipient of the State Bar Presidential Award recognizing a member whose conduct, honesty and integrity represents the highest standards of the legal profession.
I have served as president of the Rotary Club of Carson City and the Carson Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as charter president of the Carson City Council, Navy League of the United States.
I am a retired Navy Captain and Vietnam Veteran.
During my tenure as Mayor, Carson City not only successfully weathered the most severe economic downturn experienced by our community and state in more than 75 years, but made significant infrastructure improvements necessary to enhance and preserve the quality of life we enjoy in Carson City. We maintained an excellent credit rating and increased our ending fund balance from 5 percent to 7.26 percent. We have and lowered our real property tax rate 14 cents/hundred since 2013.
We avoided building expensive uranium and arsenic water treatment facilities to meet the Safe Drinking Water Act by acquiring and transporting clean water from Minden which was then blended with our existing water supplies. This approach saved in excess of $6 million in construction costs and more than $1.4 million in annual operating costs.
We implemented much-needed upgrades to our sanitary sewer system, ensuring our ability to adequately receive, treat and dispose of our community waste water.
We are seeing the completion of the final stages of the freeway bypass now set to open in June of next year.
Through the implementation of one-eighth of a percent sales tax (approximately $10 a year for an average family of four) we completed the Multi Athletic Center promised 20 years ago; built a new animal shelter; and made streetscape improvements for a pedestrian friendly downtown as contemplated by the Envision 2006 masterplan.
Through a public/private partnership we developed McFadden Plaza.
Through the efforts of our Open Space Committee, we acquired 11.5 square miles of open space laced with hiking and biking trails built mainly by local volunteers, one of which recently received national recognition, and which also enabled Carson City’s Epic Rides event to be named the top domestic off-road mountain bike event in the nation.
We invested in city data sharing programs designed to make our city government more efficient, inclusive and transparent.
2025 Vision: Growing up in Carson City, I watched our community grow from 4,500 people to its population of today. Our community offers a unique blend of the past and present as well as urban, rural and political life with a diverse portfolio of economic sectors.
In the year 2025, I envision Carson City as a rich-in-history and art, safe, healthy, vibrant and successful community that promotes education, entrepreneurship, workforce development and healthy lifestyles. I envision a community where families can feel secure in raising their children and seniors can retire in a safe and secure environment. I envision a community with an unparalleled quality of life where mutual respect by, among and between all residents is a paramount value and where there is a strong sense of place and community pride.
I envision our public infrastructure as one that provides well-maintained streets and other public facilities such as our water and waste water systems, advanced waste recycling techniques, advanced data sharing techniques to improve government inclusivity, efficiency and transparency, ample parks and recreation facilities for young and old alike as well as innovations in library services. I envision our public safety professionals having the tools and people to keep us safe and healthy.
Northern Nevada is undergoing an unprecedented economic and demographic diversification. It is important that our public infrastructure provides a sustainable quality of life that not only preserves and promotes our heritage but, as the state capital, exemplifies Nevada as we move into the 21st century.
Robert “Bob” Crowell can be reached at rcrowell@kcnvlaw.com and www.mayorbobcrowell.com or (775) 230-1311