Candidates Night Spotlights Ward 1 Race

Candidates for Fallon City Council Ward 1 traded ideas on housing, growth, and preserving the city’s small‑town feel during Candidates Night at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, outlining how they would balance development with affordability and quality of life.

The only locally contested race on the June 11 primary ballot features Daniel Doty, Lori Norcutt, and Ryan Swirczek. To avoid the general election, a candidate must win more than 50% of the vote; otherwise, the top two advance. The forum was co‑hosted by The Fallon Post, the Lahontan Valley News, and the Lahontan Valley Broadcasting Company and aired on KVLV‑AM 980 and KKTU 99.5 FM.

Housing and growth

• Doty, a real‑estate broker and property manager, called Fallon’s lack of available rentals “the biggest problem,” saying limited supply is pushing up rents. “We’re the second‑smallest city in Nevada. We can’t sprawl, but we can partner with the county and focus on where growth makes sense,” he said.
• Norcutt, a longtime school district human resources professional who now works in hospitality, said public safety and “smart, sustainable” growth should guide decisions. “Developers struggle with fees, interest rates, and timing,” she said. “We need to review our processes for unnecessary delays while protecting what people love about Fallon.”
• Swirczek, a former city employee and volunteer firefighter, said growth should not land “on the backs of the citizens.” “We need development, but we need attainable, planned development,” he said, adding that more college programs could help keep young residents in town.

Priorities and partnerships
All three candidates backed closer coordination with Churchill County, citing shared challenges in infrastructure, public safety, and economic development. “We’re going to have to have a very strong relationship with the county,” Doty said. Norcutt called collaboration “key,” and Swirczek pointed to the city’s ongoing ties with NAS Fallon and regional development groups.

Workforce and wages
Candidates linked higher‑paying local jobs to career and technical education.

• Doty said attainable housing is the key to the workforce.
• “We’re short in blue‑collar fields like HVAC,” Norcutt said, urging more vocational programs at the college level.
• Swirczek noted planned nursing upgrades at the local campus and said internships could connect students to health care jobs. “The more classes we have here, the more we keep people in Fallon,” he said.

Affordable housing
The field differed on how to define “affordable.”

• Doty endorsed “attainable housing,” arguing that relying “totally” on low‑income projects would raise taxpayer costs and miss middle‑income needs.
• Norcutt said multifamily options can help but warned that high prices and interest rates limit what the city can control.
• Swirczek supported smaller homes, townhouses, and multifamily units to serve first‑time buyers, young adults, and military families on short tours.

City–county “islands” and annexation
The candidates described case‑by‑case approaches to small county parcels inside city limits. Doty cited septic failures on one island parcel as a reason to connect to city utilities. Norcutt said differing rules complicate sales and development and favored bringing such properties into the city. Swirczek opposed forced annexation: “If they want to come into the city, they can pay in. I don’t believe in forcing properties.”

Homelessness downtown

• Doty emphasized mental‑health services and partnerships with New Frontier. “Every person deserves a home,” he said.
• Norcutt said programs and temporary housing options are needed but acknowledged limits: “Some people don’t want help. It’s hard for the community.”
• Swirczek pointed to social services, churches, and coordinated outreach to move people away from storefronts and connect them with assistance.

Health care recruiting
Candidates tied physician recruitment to housing and training pipelines. “It starts with WNC and nursing programs,” Doty said. Norcutt urged partnerships and incentives to build a “sustainable pipeline.” Swirczek said infrastructure is strong, but developers face high costs; he backed hospital internships with TMCC and UNR.

Technology and AI data centers
On hypothetical large AI facilities, the field urged caution about power and water demands. “We’re going to have to adapt eventually,” Doty said, but added that “we don’t currently have the infrastructure.” Norcutt said any proposal would require “a long, hard look” to protect community character. Swirczek said answers depend on utility needs and jobs: “Is it worth it if there are 55 employees in a big building?”

Preserving Fallon’s character
Each candidate framed “small‑town feel” as a guiding value.

• “We need to be thoughtful,” Swirczek said. “That’s how we keep the small‑community feel.”
• “There’s always room for change,” Norcutt said, “but we have to make sure it works for our community.”
• Doty called traditions a strength and said residents “show why it’s so good to live in Fallon.”

What’s next
Early voting runs May 23–June 5 at the Churchill County Administration Building and the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe Community Learning Center. Election Day for the primary is June 11, with Ward 1 on the ballot. Ward 3 Councilman Paul Harmon is unopposed and will retain his seat under state law.