Election 2022: Carson City Board of Supervisors Ward 3

4-year term

Curtis Horton
Address: P.O. Box 3283, Carson City, Nevada, 89702
Occupation: Retired
Age: 61
Contact:
Electcurtishorton@gmail.com
electcurtishorton.com

Curtis Horton

 

Record of service:
I have 35 plus years of experience working in the Carson City government. I started as a water crewman and retired as the Deputy Public Works Director. 

Education:
Carson City High School

Why are you running?

Briefly describe the core duties of the position you are running for
The Board of Supervisors is the community's decision makers. The Board enacts laws and are the key political policymakers. Supervisors are responsible for soliciting citizen views in forming policies and interpreting them to the public. They approve budgets, determine tax rates, prioritize major projects, capital financing, and perform strategic planning.

A brief statement about your platform:
My platform is simple. I want to make sure that Carson City is a safe and well-served community where people want to raise their families, do business and enjoy all of the things our City has to offer.
To have this type of environment, we need to maintain our infrastructure, support public safety, and encourage a friendly business environment. We must maintain and improve our outdoor parks and facilities, keep the gateways to the City inviting, and keep our City clean, so people want to visit our town. To accomplish this, we need to manage the budget well, seek funding opportunities at the Federal and State level, and make sound financial decisions. Finally, we have to maintain efficiency in all of our operations. These things will help make Carson City a great place to live.

What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position:
My 35 plus years of experience in the Carson City government has been dedicated to offering its citizens innovative outcomes and overseeing the transformation of operations to adapt to the ever-changing service demands. I have firsthand experience working within Carson City's local government, which offers a more purposeful perspective on government operations and enhances my ability to make sound decisions. I have worked with our residents and dealt with every complaint and concern imaginable throughout the City. Working with people in the community in difficult situations has given me a unique perspective of their needs and concerns. I listen to people, I want to understand their issues, and as we all know, some problems do not have simple solutions. However, dealing with those complex challenges and making hard decisions has helped make me a strong leader.

James ‘Jim’ Wells                                              
Address: 4368 Hidden Meadow Dr, Carson City
Occupation: Retired
Age: 55

Contact:
Jimwells3@outlook.com
www.Wells4Ward3.com

James ‘Jim’ Wells 

 

Record of service, include incumbency, military or civilian service here:
I started working for the State of Nevada in 1992 and held several management positions, including:
Chief Deputy State Controller (2001-2002)
Chief Financial Officer, Public Employees’ Benefits Program (2003-2006)
Deputy Superintendent for Administrative and Fiscal Services, Nevada Department of Education (2006-2010)
Executive Officer, Public Employees’ Benefits Program (2010-2015)
Director of Administration/Finance and State Budget Director (2015-2018)
I retired from the State of Nevada in 2018. I also held the Accounting Manager position for the City of Roanoke, Virginia (2002-2003).

I have also served on several non-profit boards and committees, including:
Nevada Committee on Local Government Finance (2006-2010)
Association of Government Accountants
Northern Nevada Chapter President (2008-2010)
Regional Vice-President (2011-2012)
Northern Nevada Chapter Treasurer (2012-2013)
Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (2016-2018)
Nevada State Prison Preservation Society – President (2020-2022); Treasurer (2022-Present)
Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway - Treasurer (2021 – present)
Carson City Audit Committee (2021- present)
Carson City Board of Equalization (2021 – present)

Education:
Valedictorian, Carson High School, 1985
University of Nevada, Reno – Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Accounting, 1989

Why are you running?
I applied for this seat when it was vacated in 2020 by our current Mayor. I applied for the position then and am running now because I think my background and experiences would be a benefit to the Board and the community I have lived in for almost 50 years.
I currently volunteer on the Carson City Audit Committee and the Carson City Board of Equalization and see sitting on the Board of Supervisors as the next logical step to keep working with other members of the Board and staff to keep Carson City moving forward.

Briefly describe the core duties of the position you are running for.
The Mayor and Board of Supervisors are responsible for the legislative and executive functions of the City, and for appointing a City Manager who is responsible for daily operations. Board responsibilities include, maintaining the municipal code by passing ordinances, approving the budget, and setting the City’s vision, goals and priorities.

A brief statement about your platform
Residents deserve a responsive government that is conservative in spending public resources, transparent in conducting its business and accountable for decisions made on the people’s behalf. Keeping the community informed about things affecting their wallet and quality of life is a priority for me.
As a former State Budget Director, I also understand the importance of conservative budgeting principles as well as having a sufficient Rainy Day Fund to weather the next economic downturn.
I would like to see the Board:
Review and, if necessary, update the City’s master plan to ensure it conforms to what residents want their City to look like.
Implement an asset management plan and prioritize existing revenues to maintain the City’s roads, water and sewer systems, and recreational assets.
Ensure the City maintains emergency preparedness and addresses growth necessary for City Police and Fire departments to maintain adequate service levels.
Ensure information technology systems and personal data are safe and secure from cyber security attacks.
Provide citizens with easy to understand information related to City operations and finances.
Promote economic development by maintaining a simple, fair and stable regulatory environment that is attractive to both new and existing businesses.

What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position
I have over 30 years of government finance and operations experience along with a proven track record of making government more efficient, reducing operating costs and eliminating duplication.
I have created and implemented government strategic plans along with measurable goals and performance objectives to ensure government is doing the right things. Measuring performance is an important part of a robust strategic plan. Only when a government measures its performance does it know where to apply its limited resources to get the best return on its investment.
Throughout my career, I challenged staff to make government more effective and efficient by answering the following:
What activities do you perform that you would stop doing if you could? How would you reprioritize those resources to do something you should be but are not?
What new initiatives would you propose? What results would they achieve? How would success be measured?
What low-cost or no-cost policy or operational ideas would you propose?
These are the types of questions a government must ask as it tries to allocate its limited dollars and people. Involving staff who work in the specific areas every day and who know what does and does not work leads to better decision making and outcomes. I believe the primary role of a supervisor is to analyze the data, ask critical questions and make sound decisions that benefit our community as a whole.
My finance and management background provides me with a unique insight into how government works. I will bring that experience and perspective to the Carson City Board of Supervisors to help keep Carson City a great place to live, work and play.