What Nye County candidates had to say at the town hall debate

At what was supposed to be debates with their primary election opponents, Nye County Assessor Sheree Stringer and treasurer candidate Raelyn Powers ended up doing questions and answers at the candidate debates held at the Bob Ruud Community Center on April 21. Wayne “Boomer” Buck, candidate for assessor, and John Prudhont, candidate for treasurer, were not in attendance.

The debates were hosted by former Nye County Republican Central Committee Chairman Joe Burdzinski. Deanna O’Donnell of local TV station KPVM was the questioner. Nearly 150 people came to hear not only the candidates for assessor and treasurer, but the candidates for county commissioner District 5 and Nye County district attorney as well.

Powers cited 30 years of accounting experience and three years managing operations in the treasurer’s office as well as having been a manager at Payday Loans when asked about her experience.

As for her leadership style, she likes to educate and guide her staff and have some fun while doing it. And she believes that ethics and honesty go hand in hand.

Among the duties of the treasurer’s office are sending out 60,000 tax bills, payments to vendors, monitoring grant money and apportionment. Concerning investments, she said that most of her experience has been in the private sector, but that, if elected, she would look at current investments and see if they could be better utilized.

Her goals are to continue the process of streamlining the office, going back to live auctions of county property, making sure all office personnel learn all areas of the office and provide a safe environment filled with communication and respect. She vowed that, under her watch, the county would never be on fiscal watch again.

Asked if she was currently on leave, Powers responded by saying that the employees union has stopped her being fired and that she was on leave pending a Human Resources investigation. She emphasized that she had not been fired.

Stringer is looking for a third term as Nye County assessor. She worked at the local Bank of America for 11 years, joined the assessor’s office in 2003 and was elected assessor in 2015.

She listed the functions of her office as assessments on properties in the county, working with the treasurer’s office and dealing with the public over changes to their assessments. Her office also does demonstrations on its internet system, meets with local real estate agents and works with veterans and the DAV. to make sure veterans are aware of their rights and benefits.

She stated that any property owner whose assessment have changed is entitled to a second assessment. She reminded everyone that much of her duties are mandated by the State Department of Taxation and Nevada Revised Statutes.

Asked about her management style, Stringer said that she was not a micromanager and, in fact, brags on her 14 employees. She has an open door policy and leads by example, being in the office from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. every Monday through Thursday.

Her goal, if elected, is to make the software system more user-friendly. She closed by asking for voters to give her a third term and suggested that, if they have not done so, to go to the recorder’s office to find out about homesteading.

Debates between candidates for county board districts 1 and 4 and Assembly District 36 will take place on April 28 at 5 p.m. at the Bob Ruud Community Center.