Dayton unincorporation issue not on ballot

DAYTON -- There will be no question regarding possible unincorporation of Dayton on this year's ballot.

Considerable debate has been stirred, however, over comments made during discussion of the issue at a recent Lyon County Commission meeting.

Upon being advised by legal counsel that decisions regarding the placing of unincorporation questions on the ballot must be made during a regularly scheduled commission meeting, Lyon County commissioners could take no action on Commissioner LeRoy Goodman's request to place the issue on the November ballot.

With the regularly scheduled meeting canceled because of the July 4 holiday, the special meeting was necessary if the deadline for getting questions on the ballot was to be met.

Goodman, a Fernley resident, said it is time for Dayton to take the next step in local government and this step would offer the people of Dayton the opportunity to establish a tax base and take control of some of its growth by, perhaps, taking over Dayton Utilities.

"It is time to get this thing out in the open. It is time for the community of Dayton to start looking at the basic form of government, because someday, probably very soon, they are going to have to look at incorporation," Goodman said. "I am sorry we can't take any action today."

In defending Goodman's placing the issue on the agenda without notifying the Dayton Regional Advisory Council, Commissioner Bob Milz supported the move and lashed out at the seven-member volunteer advisory board.

"It seems there are some folks on the town board that are upset that they weren't given the opportunity to come forward with this recommendation. Well, the fact is, that they were offered that choice by me, from this board. They chose to procrastinate," Milz charged. "It seems there are some members on the board that are self-serving, that instead of representing the people that elect them, they wish to pursue their own agendas and it is time they get off their butts and the do something for the community and the people they represent."

Commissioners David Fulstone and Phyllis Hunewill disagreed with Goodman and Milz and spoke against placing an unicorporation question on the ballot. Both said such a request should come from the people of the area.

"This needs a year's worth of discussion. It is not something we should go half cocked on. I am glad we cannot take action today," Fulstone said. "You need to get as much understanding out to the general public and people affected by it and let them make the decision whether to move forward or not."

Dayton Regional Advisory Council meeting council member Dee Scott later criticized the attempt as premature.

"As a group we decided that unincorporation was a bad idea at this time. We aren't sure the master plan will have enough commercial land to bring business to Dayton," Scott wrote in a letter. "Without such land we cannot raise the sales tax revenue needed for an unincorporated Dayton to survive. We would be dead in the water before we even started."