The Fallon Post and Lahontan Valley News, along with the Churchill County Republican Central Committee, and Lahontan Valley Broadcasting Company, sponsored Candidates’ Night, which was held on Monday evening, May 20. Both newspapers are sharing articles on the candidates seeking elected office with Churchill County Commission, Justice of the Peace, and for the mayor of Fallon.
The event was broadcast by KVLV-AM and KKTU-FM radio stations and streamed live on Network1Sports. For the Lahontan Valley News, Editor Emeritus Steve Ranson reported on the mayoral candidates. Publisher and owner of The Fallon Post, Rachel Dahl, reported on the challengers for county commission, and Leanna Lehman, editor of The Fallon Post, reported on the three Justice of the Peace contenders.
Complete candidate profiles and responses to multiple questions relative to the position they are seeking can be found in the Lahontan Valley News online or on newsstands, as well as in the Primary Election Voter Guide in the May 24 edition of The Fallon Post or online at https://bit.ly/3yv9r4u.
Candidates Night Features Three Residents Vying for Mayor
Candidates for mayor include Luai Ababneh, Jacob Robertson, and incumbent Ken Tedford. Robertson drew the first response in a drawing before the questions, followed by Ababneh and then Tedford.
The candidates first discussed their background and reasons for seeking the mayoral position.
Robertson said he has spent more than two decades living in Fallon. Many of his friends wanted to leave, but as time went by, he and others also found the city has a special charm. Robertson said many residents his age are not involved, but he wants to do his part.
“We need a fresh face and new look and see what problems the town has,” he said. “I want to do everything in my power to keep this town great.”
Ababneh was born in Saudi Arabia but grew up in Jordan. He spent several years as an interpreter for the U.S. Army before coming to the United States. He said being a Christian in the Muslim world was difficult. Ababneh said he’s rolling up his sleeves and relying on others' support in his candidacy for mayor.
“I believe Fallon is a beautiful city,” he said. “It has a small-town charm and doesn’t have big city problems.”
If elected, Ababneh vows to listen to the residents’ concerns and close the city offices for half a day each week so that the employees can meet with them and help them with their concerns.
Tedford, who has been mayor since 1995, grew up in Fallon and attended schools here and then the University of Nevada, Reno. His parents began Tedford Tires in 1947, and they instilled in him the need to lead and the importance of involvement.
“I take this position quite seriously,” Tedford said. “That’s why I walked door-to-door. I love this community, and I love its citizens.” Tedford said he’s always thinking of ways to better the future needs of the residents and their children.
“People are my guiding light, and I try to keep that in mind,” he said.
Tedford said the mayor is the city's chief executive officer, and with that comes many roles. He also said he focuses on senior citizen issues and established a Mayor’s Youth Fund. Tedford said he strongly supports the military and veterans.
Should Fallon annex land?
Candidates were asked if they would annex more land if needed.
Tedford said he would not favor annexing more land because the city’s northeast and southwest areas still have room for growth. He said the land should be developed within the city, and the council needs to follow the master plan.
Ababneh believes the city could expand because Naval Air Station Fallon will be adding personnel in another year or two. To expand, Ababneh said Fallon must improve its infrastructure. “Development has to happen in an organized way,” he said, adding he saw haphazard growth in Washington state when the McChord-Lewis Joint Base encroached against Tacoma.
“Expansion within the city has to be developed wisely,” Robertson said. He said big business would come if Fallon expanded reasonably.
Quality of streets
The quality of streets in Fallon was another concern among the three candidates.
Ababneh said some streets need improvements, but the infrastructure found underneath the streets would also need improvement. “Planning for the streets and the people living along the streets is very important,” he said.
Robertson, though, specified streets he would like to see improved. “People are taxed for the roads, but it’s sad when people pay into the system, and they don’t see the work being done,” Robertson said. Robertson said funds can be used wisely. “We need transparency in local government,” he added. Robertson said the city must listen to the people and make wise decisions based on their input when repairing future roads.
Tedford said the Nevada Department of Transportation repaired and improved Taylor and Maine streets and Williams Avenue, which are also federal highways through the city. Tedford added that the city has paved numerous streets in the past 18 months, especially the connector streets that run parallel and perpendicular to U.S. Highways 50 and 95. Tedford said government money subsidizes the repaving of many streets, as does 13% of the property tax, which goes to the general fund. “We will try to do the internal city streets now,” Tedford added.
Housing needs
Housing has been a concern in the area, especially with balancing single-family houses and multi-unit housing projects such as apartments or townhomes.
Robertson said expansion refers to infrastructure, which means good drinking water and roadways. “We can invite more people to move here to start their lives here,” he said.
With improved infrastructure, he said growth will occur.
Tedford said that years ago, the federal government forced Fallon to pay $20 million to clean the water with arsenic treatment. That project has helped with Fallon’s growth, and Tedford said the city has a master plan with many developments either proposed or approved. He said some housing projects are in the planning stages, while some have been approved but not been built.
Ababneh said residents might be opposed to housing units, but they will also benefit from them. He also said infrastructure must be in place before additional housing is approved. Ababneh stressed the need for additional housing because of the proposed base expansion. He reiterated that he doesn’t want the lack of housing to be a blight on the Fallon area like it has affected the Tacoma, Washington, region.
Economic growth, development
The three candidates answered questions about economic growth and the roles of the Churchill-Fallon Economic Development Association and the Churchill Entrepreneurial Development Association in attracting new business.
Tedford said both agencies are critical partners to the local economy. Former Sparks Mayor Bruce Breslow heads up CFED, which is working with the Governor's Office of Economic Development to attract domestic and global businesses to Churchill County.
Tedford said the city entered into an agreement with CEDA in 1985. Recently, Tedford announced Amazon was planning to build a “last mile” distribution center in Fallon, located in the city’s industrial park east of Harrigan Road near the dry milk plant.
Ababneh believes in a free market and that economic development is very important. He proposes reducing the bureaucracy of the application requirements and reducing or eliminating business fees for the first two years.
Robertson, though, said he hasn’t heard too many good things about CEDA. He said every town has an agency dedicated to business and economic development; he would like to see the city be independently strong with its businesses.
Working with others
The final question asked each candidate was about their vision for working with state and congressional leaders to fund projects.
All three candidates said it is vital to work with state and national leaders, such as the governor, senators, and congressman.
Ababneh focused on renegotiating with elected representatives with the amount of money coming into the city. Robertson said it’s important to maintain an open line of communication.
Tedford said the mayor must work with state and federal colleagues. He cited the importance of the mayor, for example, working with a senator while the city staff meets with their counterparts to discuss similar problems and solutions.
In closing, Ababneh asked how the city can serve its citizens. He said transparency is important, and as an example, he said the budget may be hard to understand by the residents. Ababneh said he would also like to establish a program like a town hall where the mayor could talk to the public about various topics, citing gun safety as a topic. “I’m a big proponent of the Second Amendment,” he said.
Robertson echoed the idea, saying he would like to see more community involvement and more transparency in city government. He added that he would like to have a public platform where residents can speak with their mayor and city council.
Tedford asked for the residents’ vote and reiterated the mayor is not a figurehead but a CEO.
“Fallon has no city manager. It has a mayor,” he said. Tedford said since Fallon’s founding in 1908, the long line of mayors has governed well.
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