A bill which could lead to the disincorporation of the City of Ely cleared another hurdle to make it on the 2017 ballot Friday when it cleared an Assembly Committee.
The Assembly Government Affairs Committee voted 8-6 on Friday to pass SB238, which was sponsored by Republican Sen. Pete Goicoechea.
The measure would create a 2017 advisory ballot question to break up the City of Ely and instead form a town that would be governed by White Pine County.
Originally the bill had scheduled the disincorporation vote to this year’s general city election but was delayed following a lobbying blitz by several Ely elected officials. Most spoke against the disincorporation and argued that it would be unfair to spring the vote on the electorate with just three months notice.
The legislature agreed and post poned the vote until 2017. Ever since the closure of Kennecott in the late 1970’s the idea of disincorporating Ely has raised its head. Proponents of the idea have argued that such a move would save vast amounts of tax payer dollars in uniting services and doing away with the costs of running a city.
Opponents argue that the savings are not so great especially since the Ely and White Pine County have a joint police force already.
Underneath the pocket book issues could be however a general weariness in the legislature about dealing with Ely politics. One of the most bitterly divided communities in the state Ely and to a lesser extent White Pine County regular has recall elections or rather recall election movements the cost both time and money.
Often political disagreements are resolved by the courts.
In the latest uproar the Ely City Council made up of newly relocated “reformers” came up against the “good old boys” native Ely residents on the Rail Road Management board.
In what was called an effort to embarrass the Rail road Board the city council paid tens of thousands of dollars for an audit of the Rail Road’s books.
While the audit found no evidence of criminal or financial wrong doing it did slight the board for sloppy bookkeeping. Both sides took the audit result as a sign of victory.
Although the pro-disincorporation movement could have the upper hand now the fact that the vote is now delayed for tw years could mean everything.
Ely and White Pine County could be on the verge of a gold mining boom with two major mines well into the permitting process. The influx of people and perhaps an economic boom could change everything once again.