The filling of seats on the Beatty Town Advisory Board will be decided by an informal election scheduled for 5:30 p.m. before the regular board meeting on Nov. 14.
Three members of the board—Kelly Carroll, Dick Gardner, and Crystal Taylor will be running to retain their seats. The only other person to submit a letter of interest is JaVon Branch.
Branch, 28, describes himself as “an enthusiastic young man that is willing to assist and build a better and lasting tomorrow.” In his letter, he said, “I, like others in town, intend to promote the ‘natural life,’ of Beatty. I sense a strong will with our young voters, which should assist in making Beatty thrive with opportunity, uniqueness, and happiness.”
Carroll was appointed to the board in January 2011 and has served as vice-chairman since 2012. He is a member of the Beatty Volunteer Fire Department and Beatty Volunteer Ambulance Service, a 20-year resident of Beatty, and he says he is committed to his community and its citizens.
“Beatty is undergoing economic and social changes, bringing challenges and opportunities with them,” Carroll said. “I would like to continue my service on this board as we move forward to meet these challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that come our way.”
Gardner also joined the board in 2011 and has been chairman since 2012. He is a member of the Nevada National Security Site Advisory Board and the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Site Technical Advisory Group. He is quartermaster for the Beatty VFW, John Strozzi Post.
“The Beatty Town Advisory Board continues to partner with other groups and entities in the community in various ways: financial support, administrative support and volunteerism,” Gardner said. “All with the common goal of making Beatty a great place to live, work and play.”
Gerling also joined the board in 2011 and serves as the board’s treasurer. She has also served on the Beatty Volunteer Ambulance Service and the Beatty VFW Auxiliary.
“I am a longtime resident who has had two children graduate from Beatty High School and have three children currently attending school in Beatty,” Gerling said. “I have found Beatty to be a good place to raise a family and I see serving on the Beatty Town Advisory Board as a way to maintain and improve the community for my family and all families that call it home.
“I feel that progress has been and is being made on many town projects and goals and would like to continue to that work.”
The results of the informal election will determine which of these will have their names submitted to the Nye County Board of County Commissioners for appointment.
Freelance reporter and Beatty resident Richard Stephens has covered the town for newspapers for nearly 20 years.