School Board's Matt Hyde announces run for Commission

Matt Hyde, a Fallon native and current member of the Churchill County School Board, has announced his candidacy for Churchill County Commission District 1.

The seat is currently held by Dr. Justin Heath, who was elected in 2020. Heath has indicated he doesn’t plan to seek a second term. Hyde will be running for the commission seat as a Republican. Candidate filing dates for nonjudicial offices is March 4-15.

Hyde, a longtime employee of CC Communications, plans to retire from the agency at the end of this year if he wins the commission office.

“I think timing is everything,” Hyde told the Lahontan Valley News. “I hashed it over for a long time … and people approached me about running.”

Not only will an opening develop for District 1, but Harry “Bus” Scharmann also indicated he will not run for re-election for District 3. Scharmann was appointed in November 2020 to fill the unexpired term of Greg Koenig, who was elected to Assembly District 38.

“We’re losing some experience in years,” Koenig said of the current commission board.

Myles Getto, who was elected in 2020, had served on the Planning Commission prior to his candidacy. He was elected by his fellow commissioners earlier this year to become commission chairman. Hyde said with his experience on the school board, the 1991 Churchill County High School graduate said he can bring experience to the board. He said school trustees also handle similar problems the commissioners face.

In the nine years Hyde has been on the school board, peers from across the state voted Churchill County the governance team of the year in 2020. Hyde also has served as school board president

“I can bring something to the community table,” he said, adding it was time to serve the community in a different way.

Hyde said issues facing the county include affordable housing and living wage jobs. He also said it was important for the county to maintain its infrastructure and provide a good quality of life for the residents. He also advocates a strong working relationship with the U.S. Navy.

“It’s important to continue to keep an open line of communication open between the school district and the Navy Base,” Hyde said during his last election to the school board.  “These students and families are required to move often which can make for a difficult transition.”

One of the highlights of the cohesion between the school district and Naval Air Station Fallon occurred two years ago when Churchill County was designated a Purple Star school district, which shows a commitment to students and families connected to the military.

Hyde also serves on the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Control Board for region II. Locally, Hyde has been involved with youth sports for 25 years as a coach. Hyde said he knew early in his coaching career he always wanted to be an advocate for the area’s children.

Two candidates nights co-sponsored by the Fallon Post, Lahontan Valley News and Churchill County Republicans will be held in May and October prior to early voting. Candidates seeking local offices, school board, Assembly District 38 and the Board of Regents District 9 will be invited to attend.