It is with great enthusiasm that I officially announce my candidacy for Storey County Commissioner, District 2, for the upcoming 2018 election.  I am asking for your vote and for your support.

I am running as a non-partisan (NP) candidate seeking to replace the incumbent Commissioner Jack McGuffy. My opponents in this race will be those winning the Republican and Democrat party primaries in June or any other NP candidates who may file.

I have decided to run as a non-partisan because I feel, as many of you do, that neither major party truly represents me. I want to place myself in a position absent of any political favoritism and allegiances so that I can both vote my conscience and do what YOU the residents tell me is important to you and I want to do that free of Party affiliations.

I am running in order to build a strong county, to maintain our unique way of life, to preserve our historic treasures and wildlife for each and every resident. I fear that we are in danger of losing these things due to compromises, deals and lack of will to fight for them.

With the evolution of Storey County from a small insignificant county to a county on the global map now is the time for change. Just like a company that evolves from a start-up to an ongoing concern, the original management team needs to be replaced by others more experienced at taking the company to the next level, so too is Storey County ready for its next management team.

We are growing and becoming more and more complex. This will require different ways of doing business with the companies that located here as well as with the State and our communities.  A careful balance will need to be struck between the needs of the businesses at TRI, the very different needs of new residents moving into the county as a result of the high density growth that TRI will bring us to the North and the rural lifestyle that our current residents value in the South.  We will need to be more active in how our Virginia Range horse herd is dealt with and managed. All of these things will need to be addressed without compromising one community over another.

Further, I  seek to break the proverbial glass ceiling of our Storey County government by breaking thru the small network of insiders who have governed our community for too many generations.

I want to break the cycle of closed door deal making, overt and covert threats against those who don’t want to follow along with the status quo, insider deals and the preferential treatment which we’ve seen for many years, these last 4 in particular.  Many of you are tired of unfulfilled promises, nepotism, the lack of accountability, and the siphoning of public funds to cronies and private interests.  So am I.

I recognize and applaud the contributions of Mr. Lance Gilman, his partners, and his Storey County colleagues in the transition of the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) from desert land to the largest industrial park in the world. However, the need for more diverse and experienced leaders is now paramount. I believe that I would offer that diversity of experience as your elected Commissioner.

I addition to my over 30 years of business, policy making and executive experience I’ve spent the last six years thoroughly engaged in understanding and participating in our Storey County government. I have attended countless Commissioner, Virginia City Tourism Committee, and other County meetings. I am committed to making Storey County the premier county in Nevada.

I have taken strong positions and have involved myself in numerous community and county wide issues:

– I stood up and voiced my opposition to the use of County tax revenues to pay for the effluent pipeline from Sparks to TRI which should be a private developer expense and not a burden on the taxpayers;

– I stood up and opposed the numerous “free” land giveaways to TRI including the re-conveyance of the USA Parkway to TRI which yielded the developers a whopping $25 million profit with no recompense or debt forgiveness to the County;

– I stood up and voiced my opposition to the use of Eminent Domain to seize the Historic Freight Depot from its private owners for County use;

– I continue to voice my opposition to the inappropriate and unlawful payment of $250,000 in bonuses to highly paid County executives;

– I stood up and continue to oppose the preferential treatment of key players and contractors in how the County does business;

– I support the efforts to keep and better manage our Virginia Range wild horses;

– I support our communities through my involvement as the Board Chair of the Virginia City Senior Center, as a Board member of Piper’s Opera House, and through my involvement in numerous community events.

I will continue to be a strong and vocal advocate of resident’s rights as your Commissioner.

I consider the comments made by my opposition and the current “establishment”  labeling me as a firebrand and a troublemaker as a hearty recommendation of my candidacy. The comments are a testament to my continued actions delving into the difficult issues and asking the tough questions, regardless of the retribution, attacks and whisper campaigns that typically follow.  I have not, nor will I,  back down due to this type of pressure.

Despite the pressure on me to stop speaking up I feel that there is no greater failure than to not take action when required.

I encourage you to visit my website at www.bardecampaign.com and read my blogs here at bardeblog.com to understand my positions and the challenges that I feel we face as a County. I hope to earn your vote in November . If you want to help me win this election please consider donating to my campaign…. I can surely use the help! Click HERE to contribute!

Thanks,

Nicole@bardecampaign.com