Eric Caetano didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
Eric Blakey is a retired member of the Fallon-Churchill Fire Department with 20 years of service. He held the positions of firefighter, captain and assistant chief. Blakey is the current chairman of the Churchill County Planning Commission, serving six plus years, and a member of the Churchill County Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. Blakey is owner of Hotwire Electric LLC, Gum Corner Properties and Dandelion Express Florist
Blakey
1. The county is facing a monumental budget deficit that will affect the rest of this fiscal year and FY2025. How should the county overcome both the short-term and long-term budget woes?
I find the budget issue concerning, not monumental, as the current administration is implementing the necessary steps to mitigate any financial disaster for the times that we have been presented.
As a new commissioner once elected, I believe review of the steps that were taken for the FY2024 budget will need to occur so we can mitigate any continuing concerns that might still exist if any and a review of the current FY2025 budget is in line to be balanced. Should concerns exist I will do my part to take the necessary action needed to have a balanced budget.
Churchill County has general fund balance of approximately 25 million at its current state, not counting any new revenue moving forward, which would allow operations as they exist for about 22 months, so there is time to plan the financial outlook with no detrimental effects.
What issues in public health and safety would you prioritize with the Central Health District?
The Central Nevada Health District is an impressive new resource to our community that will have broadened effects on all citizens here and especially to those who they serve the most. Churchill County along with the other participants must always fulfill their obligations in support of the district’s mission.
I believe identifying the actual concerns of our community that are not completely known or understood and the depths of those concerns will be the largest issue, while Mental health and unknown communicable diseases should have the same amount of consideration in combating those issues as well.
Looking ahead, what do you envision for the county 5 years from now, 10 years from now?
5-year Vision, Great strides will be taken with our infrastructure and developmental areas such as (CHIP) the Churchill Industrial Park to allow our growth to begin; also, we will start to see more residential homes to welcome the arrival of new citizens ready to make Churchill County their home.
10 Year Vision, Infrastructure will be close to completion within most residential areas, neighborhoods, and CHIP, while existing businesses will start to flourish, and new businesses will start to arrive because of the increased demographics from our growth.
How do you balance the need for housing with your constituents who are vehemently opposed to housing projects in their neighborhoods?
When the time presents itself for a community to grow everyone has an ideal; however, there are many deciding factors to help make some of those decisions, a few being what is the common goal, where is growth feasible, what issues can be mitigated, do current county zoning codes coincide with the areas that exist, does the developmental cost super cede the fruition of a neighborhood.
When communities grow into the future there will be give and take from us all, however, should our community not grow it will not prosper as it should. I believe the citizens of Churchill County will support growth when developments are presented correctly and developed within reason.
Should the county delay its plans to build a new CAPS (Churchill Animal Protection Society) facility due to budget problems even though the money has been committed. How would you handle the situation and is it fair to make CAPS wait another year for improvements?
There are a few things to clarify prior to saying yes or no to moving forward with the Facility, were there funds set aside for the project? Are they still there? How much was set aside? Does that amount align with the amount currently needed to buildout the project? Once these answers are known then I believe a comprehensive plan can be made as to when the project will move forward and what the CAPS organization should expect.
I believe we can work together to make the best of a distressed situation until the project moves forward.
If you disagree with a department head in pushing forward a proposal or plan, how would you navigate the conflict between the staff and elected officials?
Disagreements are always a vital part of every effective conversation in order to get the answer that will provide the best solution.
In this setting, I believe the department head would be the expert for the topic at hand as for they are employed as such, the elected official would only be there in a guidance role to make sure the direction the department is heading aligns with our counties mission and goals, also that the citizens will approve of the outcome.
Student achievement in Churchill County is below state and national averages. The need for library expansion has been presented to the commissioners for years and without action. What would you do as a commission to build a culture of education in our community which includes library expansion?
I am aware the Churchill County Library has been fundraising for many years to build an expansion with no prevail as now.
A community library is priceless to rural areas for there are several citizens who depend on its existence every day, and students wishing to engage in the discovery process of the information a library can offer is invaluable to the knowledge it will provide them. We shouldn’t lay blame on an unexpanded library failing our leaders of tomorrow; however, until the time comes for a larger facility, we should work together to make sure the proper and correct information is being offered to the students while also filling all the unknown gaps of learning to the best of our ability.
How do you see the roles of the Churchill Fallon Economic Development (CFED) and the Churchill Entrepreneurial Development Agency in attracting new businesses and training a potential workforce?
The CFED role within our community is to promote why Churchill County is the premium choice to locate a new business or relocate an existing business to our county while providing the logistical services needed.
The CEDA role within our community is to provide business development and workforce development to those wishing to establish a business within Churchill County, while also assisting with the needs of business startup and providing guidance on how to maneuver the correct path to a successful business.
The Fallon Range Training Complex modernization is moving forward. What is the county’s role in ensuring provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act that approved the modernization is carried out in a timely manner?
As we all know the Federal Government will usually act as they please and at their pace. However, I do believe the role of Churchill County Commissioner, also to include County Commissioner’s from other areas that are involved have the responsibility of ensuring that grazers, miners, private landowners, and sportsman will be compensated correctly, while monitoring the progression of the FRTC Expansion.
More events are coming to Fallon because of the Rafter 3C Complex. What does the county need to do now to capitalize on this new era of attracting visitors to our community.
Promote this facility to all prevails to make sure we are attracting all possible events that align with our entertainment goals for the broadest array of event goers to our area. We must make sure the logistics are perfectly in line so the efficiency of the event operations will produce the highest economic impact to our community.
Rusty Jardine is the retired general manager of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District.
He was also with the Churchill County District Attorney’s office for eight years before becoming TCID’s general manager and legal counsel from 2010-2022. Jardine has a background with water issues, the U.S. Navy mission and the agriculture community.
Jardine
The county is facing a monumental budget deficit that will affect the rest of this fiscal year and FY2025. How should the county overcome both the short-term and long-term budget woes?
Appropriately, each department may provide for an across the board reduction in budget of 5% for the current fiscal year. This should address the short term deficit.
In the long-term special care must be taken to properly forecast conditions that are certain to attend a national outlook. Budget reductions may be implemented across multiple budge cycles. Inflation is on the rise; and, out there, the prospect of recession is looming. Extraordinary care must be taken, then, with regard to large scale projects planned for in the long-term.
The budget approved by any public entity is its single most important policy statement. Its implementation and oversight impinge fiduciary duties for the elected officials at the highest level. Attending every budget cycle is this reality: Expenditures rise to meet or exceed income! We must plan for that!
2. What issues in pubic health safety would you prioritize with the Central Nevada Health District?
Preliminarily, the authorizing statutes and provisions of the administrative code for the Central Health District are very broad. Naturally, protecting the public against communicable diseases lies at the base. In rural Nevada we need more health care providers including those in the realm of mental health. How do we fund for such amidst budget shortfalls? We must look to other sources. We may look to state and federal sources as available. We must, when necessary, advocate funding such as loan forgiveness. Bottom line, we just keep looking.
3. Looking ahead, what do you envision for the county 5 years from now, 10 years from now?
Assuming a downturn in the national trends consisting of a slowing economy, wherever possible we will want to hold the line on budget considerations and wait out the storm. Nevertheless, we must do everything in our power to enhance our tax base (See Question 10).
Our housing needs will continue to rise in the short-term in support of the mission of the United States Navy and our own efforts to bring in new industry and its attendant work force. To sustain continuing growth will require a careful view of water resources. New sources must be identified in the short term to facilitate growth in the future. In the long-term, we may see lands taken out of production.
Our hope nonetheless is to preserve agriculture as the bedrock of our county. We will see new industry come our way as a result of inviting the world to visit us (See Question 10).
4. How do you balance the need for housing with your constituents who are vehemently opposed to housing projects in their neighborhoods?
For the future, as we advance our need for housing –both in support of the mission of the United States Navy, and industry that has joined our community, we will always want to preserve our lifestyle here. It is important to us all. We still brag of having so few stop lights in our county’s most populated city: Fallon!
We must grow but we must do so in a sustained-deliberate fashion. The availability of water and the development of attending infrastructure projects may well govern the pace. We will carefully adhere to our water resource plan, our master plan, and our water resource plan. We will give ear to the people’s voice regarding impacts; and, where possible, provide conditions that will assuage important concerns. However, it must be remembered that property ownership bears important rights including that of development.
We must administer these concerns carefully within the framework of the law.
5. Should the county delay its plans to build a new CAPS (Churchill Animal Protection Society) facility due to budget problems even though the money has been committed. How would you handle the situation and is it fair to make CAPS wait another year for improvements?
Idling in the background, presumably across multiple budget cycles, is the vital need to enhance the mission of CAPS. We will support doing so. And, we will do so upon a firm financial basis which may mean we wait another year. We must look to other sources if our budget will not allow such. As necessary, we keep looking for all possible sources.
6. If you disagree with a department head in pushing forward a proposal or plan, how would you navigate the conflict between the staff and elected officials?
In our system of county government, we have only three commissioners. If this question suggests a commissioner working as a “One Commissioner Board” in dealing with the conflict –that cannot happen.
The Commission engages its county manager on important issues; and, where necessary, those issues are brought into the sunshine of an open meeting for resolution by all the commissioners. A commission establishes a budget and that budget is driven by department heads under guidance by the county manager.
Moreover, many budgets in the county are managed by other elected officials necessitating care in not crossing clear lines of authority.
7. Student achievement in Churchill County is below state and national averages. The need for library expansion has been presented to the commissioners for years and without action. What would you do as a commissioner to build a culture of education in our community which includes library expansion?
We all want to see student achievement rise in our community. We must do so to be competitive in a world market. But at the core of this issue is another government responsible for that outcome: The Churchill County School District. We will support the District in its efforts to address the issue. We will go hand in hand to Carson City if needed to secure state based funding if necessary.
Separable is the issue of the library. Yes, we will always want to advance its purposes. But, those purposes are often distinct from those of our children in school. A library has a general education purpose in a community. Our people, including our aged citizens go there for information, for assistance, for internet access. As our financial picture sharpens, we will plan to improve our library for the benefit of us all.
Personally, I consider myself an educator. I have taught college courses. I have presented in grade schools and junior highs. I have taught at police academies. I support learning because I am ever learning! That is the culture we will advance.
8. How do you see the roles of the Churchill Fallon Economic Development (CFED) and the Churchill Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) in attracting new businesses and training a potential workforce?
Vital to us all are these roles. We are going to grow. We will have new businesses. We invite visitors here because this is the best place for them. We must sell our vision to all those who are interested. People will come. Those who are here will want to stay. The CFED and the CEDA must be out there extending our invitation. We will ever support them.
9. The Fallon Range Training Complex Modernization (FRTC) is moving forward. What is the county’s role in ensuring provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that approved the modernization is carried out in a timely manner?
The Training Complex is moving forward; and, the process didn’t always allow for our County being heard. As it moves forward we will want to hold our nation’s lawmakers and policy makers to the proverbial fire: The County must obtain the promises rising from the National Defense Authorization Act –which included lands to the North of Fallon and certain access. Where these promises are not sustained, we will take our concerns to the Department of Defense if necessary.
10. More events are coming to Fallon because of the Rafter 3C Complex. What does the county need to do now to capitalize on this new era of attracting visitors to our community?
The numbers speak for themselves: In the past year we were attended by some 303,000 visitors! We saw some 549 event days. We saw a boost of some $9 million to our economy. We will do more.
As we improve facilities and make more hook-ups available we will attract more people! We will sell our story to all who will listen. We can here provide that which cannot be afforded in places like Reno. We are in a driver’s seat. Building upon what we now have, with what we can have, will build our tax base and help resolve our budgetary limitations. We will do so with federal monies to the best of our ability in an effort to sustain our limitations on the public fisc.
Todd Moretto, a maintenance planner for Kennametal and owner of Auditory Sensations, grew in in Fallon and attended local schools. His mother, the late Trena Moretto, was Churchill County recorder from 1998 to 2006.
Moretto
1. The county is facing a monumental budget deficit that will affect the rest of this fiscal year and FY2025. How should the county overcome both the short-term and long-term budget woes?
There are many things we can do. First, once the budget is set stop spending money not in the scope of the budget. Or if money does have to be approved find a way to pay for it before approving the new request.
Also, I understand that a lot of grant money is slated to potentially be awarded to us in the future, but we need to understand when, how, and the best way to have this money work for us … not just spend it all as soon as we get it or before.
2. What issues in public health safety would you prioritize with the Central Health District?
I personally think there is a lot of room or need to help the senior sector of Fallon with services and assistants to help them have a better quality of life.
As for mental health, I truly believe there is an absolute need for help with our youth. We are not cultivating strong mental abilities and seem to coddle instead of mentor or engage with them constructively.
This needs some help.
3. Looking ahead, what do you envision for the county 5 years from now, 10 years from now?
We need to capitalize on growth in the sector we are good at such as the events getting people to come to our community to spend money spend during the night and talk about how much fun they had.
We have a great opportunity to grow this sector of Fallon with the possibility of some great grants. This is something we should be pushing on hard.
As for our county, I would love for us to get out of the mindset of the county getting into the land development business; let that stay with private enterprise, and let us work on what we need to do to help our residents by operating our government the most efficient way posable.
4. How do you balance the need for housing with your constituents who are vehemently opposed to housing projects in their neighborhoods?
As far as I’m concerned, I am the voice of the people who put me in office; if they don’t want it why are we forcing it? There is always a different solution to a problem than the first idea.
Communication and getting more people's points of view is always a good start. I have ideas but there is not enough room or time here feel free to ask me when you see me.
5. Should the county delay its plans to build a new CAPS (Churchill Animal Protection Society) facility due to budget problems even though the money has been committed. How would you handle the situation and is it fair to make CAPS wait another year for improvements?
No, this should not be delayed. if this was budgeted and has been accrued for the,n it needs to happen. Your word and character should mean something, and I feel we have gotten away from that. This is why it is important to do your due diligence before promising things without doing as much research as necessary to make an informed decision.
6. If you disagree with a department head in pushing forward a proposal or plan, how would you navigate the conflict between the staff and elected officials? This is something I have a lot of opinions about.
First, I feel we do not take our department heads (elected or appointed) expertise in their given field of work into account as much as we should. These people are put or elected to their positions because they are the best at what they do. All decisions should be a team effort not just the point of view of one or two people.
We need to get our county back to the table where they all feel we have a say in the decisions that affect their departments without the fear of retaliation because of their view from their lane of expertise or experience.
7. Student achievement in Churchill County is below state and national averages.
The need for library expansion has been presented to the commissioners for years and without action. What would you do as a commission to build a culture of education in our community which includes library expansion?
I feel these have nothing to do with each other. The library is great on its own and has a place and a need in our community it can create a love of reading and knowledge but does little to sustain long-term effects on education. Getting parents engaged in their children’s education would be the biggest help.
We have lost touch with the human interaction with our kids and parents. We have turned to hands-off virtual communication. This decreases our social skills and pride and willingness to achieve because there are no personal connections. Ask a teacher if they connect with a kid on a human level and gain trust and respect if that child is way more receptive and respectful this goes for parents as well. We need the face-to-face human connection to start to rebuild the ability to learn. A set standard, teachable curriculum would be a huge help as well. I guess we will see if this works with reading this year it is the first one we have had in a very long time.
8. How do you see the roles of the Churchill Fallon Economic Development (CFED) and the Churchill Entrepreneurial Development Agency in attracting new businesses and training a potential workforce?
This is an area where we could use some work, we have cut chopped and made this very difficult to understand how all of these departments and people work as a cohesive unit we need to do better. This is something that needs to be fixed sooner than later.
9. The Fallon Range Training Complex modernization is moving forward. What is the county’s role in ensuring provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act that approved the modernization is carried out in a timely manner?
This is a train wreck and I’m not sure we will have much say in this as I believe all the moving parts have already been set in stone. I hope we learn from our mistakes with this and don’t repeat them in the future.
10. More events are coming to Fallon because of the Rafter 3C Complex. What does the county need to do now to capitalize on this new ear of attracting visitors to our community.
This is a big one and requires a lot of discussion and planning.
First thing we need to get to a place where the 3C is self-supporting and this will require the need to charge and bring in larger events. This is a facility that requires the support of all our county and city officials to work together and bring the events that bring economic impact and support them with the things we do best.
Small-town, clean, family events that we just flat do better than any other community around. We are there, we are on the map, we just need to work together and realize it is not a competition between events or one is better than another they are all important and are pushing for the same goal.
Bring money to our community through entertainment, sporting events, community support and Fallon pride and step away from personal agendas and promote Fallon with every event we can get here.