Storey County Commission Job Description

I attended Nicole Barde’s “interview the candidate” event in Virginia City last week. One of the handouts she provided was a job description of the County Commissioner.

Because her format was “interview the candidate”, she provided a job description for the job of Commissioner. Her information was interesting in that it provided many of the things that a County Commissioner does besides simply collecting a 3k a month paycheck for showing up a couple of hours every other week.

This job description information is useful to help voters to understand the scope (width and breadth) of the job of commissioner. The job, while having no experience requirements, requires experience for a commissioner to be successful. The more experience in managing a team and a budget, the less time will be required to get up to speed. Having a candidate up to speed on day one is important if they are to take us to where we are headed. Without the requisite experience, the commissioner will be lead around and shown the ropes by Gilman and McBride.

Looking at recent history of our commissioners, guys like Bum Hess, Lance Gilman, and Marshall McBride are more effective than say Jack McGuffey or Bill Sjovangen. Unfortunately for (most of) the residents and taxpayers, the effectiveness of Hess, Gilman and McBride hasn’t always worked out for the best.

Therefore, I feel it is important to list the main points of Ms. Barde’s Storey County Commission Job Description for you, gentle reader, to digest and file away under “C” for Consideration.

According to the county website, the job is as follows:

Each commissioner is required to reside in 1 of 3 districts, equally divided among the county’s population based on the census. However, each commissioner is elected by all residents of the county to serve a 4 year term, during which they discuss and determine all issues on a countywide basis.

In order to qualify for election to a seat representing a district on the Board of Commissioners, an individual must be a current resident in that district and have resided there for a minimum of 30 days prior to the close of filing.

NRS 244.146 includes more information about the requirements of the County Commissioner:

As the county’s governing board, the commission has vast responsibilities, spanning from budgeting to policy enactment and enforcement. Below are some of the many services the Storey County Commissioners provide the residents and businesses of the county:

• Budgeting–approve all county department budgets and monitor their performance
• Set tax rate countywide, as well as water and sewer rates in Virginia City and Gold Hill
• Establish and monitor the policies and ordinances that run our county government

Ms. Barde expanded on the role of the Commissioner with the following information from her handout:

• Manages and is accountable for the performance of their sole employee—The County Manager
• Represents the people of Storey County in all decisions made at the Commission level
• Determines and promotes Storey County’s Economic Development Plan
• Defines ,directs and participates in the lobbying and negotiating activities with our Sister Counties, Nevada State Legislature and the Federal Nevada and other state representatives in Washington DC ie..zip code issue, USA parkway funding by Federal funds, Lands Bill, Opportunity zone designation, Sunny Hills, Corde Vista, Boundary Line adjustment, imposition of “impact fee” by our sister counties
• Participation in and negotiation with Governors office of Economic Development (GOED) , Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) and Northern Nevada Development Authority (NNDA)
• Representing Storey County’s interests on numerous Boards and Commissions
• National Association of Counties (NACO )
• Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V& T Railway
• Virginia City Tourism Commission
• Nevada Works
• Virginia City Senior Center
• Lockwood Senior Center
• St. Mary’s Art Center
• Historic Fourth Ward School and Museum Board
• Truckee River Flood Management Authority
• Comstock Historic District
• Working with the major business and political interests in Storey County to define, negotiate and enforce mutually beneficial public / private partnerships
• TRI Developer agreement, new agreements as with Blockchains as the new developer at TRIC, Emerald City Empire, and Painted Rock

There you have it. While I am guessing she missed some points, I am sure by now you get the picture: the better equipped the next commissioner is to handle the growing pains and the new directions the county is headed, the better we all; businesses at TRIC, Merchants on C Street, county employees, and Joe and Jane Resident, will be.

Please vote responsibly.

Hasta la Victioria, Siempre