Two potentially controversial issues will confront newly elected West Wendover Mayor Emily Carter when she assumes office next week, the first in picking her own replacement could indicate just how she proceeds with the second the bailout of the Wendover Gas company.
While Carter took a narrow victory over incumbent Donnie Anderson her chief ally on the council lost his bid for reelection and lost badly. Gorum came in fourth in what was essentially a four man race with challengers Saul Andrade, Gerado Rodriguez and Casey Snyder all besting him.
Both Andrade and Rodriguez will enter the council next week when Carter takes up the Mayor’s gavel and leaves her own council seat with another two years on her term. In Wendover it is the mayor who nominates a candidate for a vacancy and the council who votes.
If both Snyder and Gorum apply for the vacancy Carter would be faced with a dilemma. Traditionally the mayor nominated the next highest vote getter in the previous election in this case that would be Snyder. However the Wendover ambulance owner has made no secret of his opposition to past council policies that Carter played a major role and his specific disagreement with the proposed bailout of the Wendover Gas Company which Carter championed.
The bailout was derailed by Anderson three weeks ago when Anderson along with councilman Izzy Gutierrez, his only political ally on the council called over a half a dozen local and regional propane suppliers to determine if private enterprise could come to the rescue rather than the publicly funded city takeover.
“I saw this as kind of a back door effort by some to buy the gas company,” Andersen said. “And I also wanted to see that if there really was a crisis coming and the city was the only option. We must have made at least a half a dozen if not more phone calls and every single company we contacted said they were willing and able to supply Wendover Gas Company customers should it go bankrupt.”
After Andersen and Gutierrez presented their findings to the council the item was tabled but not before harsh words were exchanged between Anderson Wendover Gas Company owner Nancy Green and councilmen Johnny Gorum and Emily Carter.
Both Gorum and Carter have pushed for the city bailout of the Wendover Gas company, estimated to cost between $2 million to $2.5 million.
If Carter appoints Gorum it could indicate the gas issue will once again make it on the agenda. However the council’s ratification of a Gorum appointment is not a sure thing. Of the four councilmen to be voting only roy briggs could be considered sure to go along with the appointment. Gutierrez would probably vote against as well as Rodriguez. It would be up to Andrade to either kill the nomination by either voting no or abstaining. If he votes aye the tie would be decided by the Mayor Carter.
Carter could play it safe and reappoint interim councilman Mike Mierra to fill out her term and when he was appointed four month ago to fill out the term of Bryant blake, Carter cast the deciding vote for him. Her vote opened speculation that a deal may have been in the works that should she win the mayor’s race, Mierra had the inside track for her council seat. If there were any understandings, they were made before the election.
Oh so sad for Donnie, Now where will he get all his free drinks.
W. Wendover you are crazy, for years you have complained about how the council is one sided (peppermill sided) and now you elect Carter as your mayor?!
Nothing like giving the casino the gavel.
It’s better than leaving it in the hands of a complete moron, who sides with whomever is supplying him free drinks for him and all his buddies.
Haha you have no need to worry about Donnie. His friends were his friends before he was the mayor and will continue to be his friends now that he is not. It is amazing that what concerns anyone is Donnie and his beer. Now that Emily is mayor the careless over spending by the city will go unchecked. Especially when she gets one of her cohorts in her vacant council seat. Saul claims that he is for the people, but history has shown that every Peppermill employee to be on the council has caved in to pressure by the casino. I have little faith that he will be any different. The Peppermill is in total control. People should be concerned about that.
Me and My opinion,
Well it had nothing to do with Donnie and his drinking habits. Frankly no one cares, it had everything to do with him accepting free drinks to the tune he did. As a public official it is highly unethical and violates the Nevada State Statutes to accept any type gifts, favors and unwarranted privileges. Donnie wasn’t get comped drinks like he did before he was mayor, and it wasn’t just a couple comped drinks it was comped drinks for everyone that was in his party for the entire time they were at that particular establishment(s). But everyone including this paper made such a huge deal when the Peppermill Employees on the council forgot to disclose before voting on the Rusty Palms.
So you tell me, what is more unethical, forgetting to disclose your employment or getting free drinks for yourself and everyone you are partying with and not to mention the fact that the mayor went to bat for the same establishment(s).
Carter cant even take care of her own kids and now we are intrusting her with our city? Sorry Emily, the trampoline in your front yard wont hold the town till 11pm (like it does YOUR own children almost every night) while you do….whatever it is you think that you do!
I’m trying to figure out how a Mormon gets voted in as mayor and judge in a Nevada gaming town that sells gambling and drinks.
They’re Mormon so what. I can careless what religion they follow as long as they do a good job. I have high hopes for Boatman, but not for Carter. All the bigotry about religion should never come up.
With Carter in office we will own a propane company at the taxpayers expence. She will listen to our city manager because she hangs on every word he says.
You are all crazy! You live in a border town that serves alcohol 24/7 and you want to tell me that you are concerned wether the ex-mayor gets free drinks or not. Just how many people can go in to an establishment and get drinks. I know police officers, fire dept that can go in and depending on who is working or what pit bosses might be working. That’s how these casino’s keep YOU coming in to their establishments. Citizens need to be more worried why you can’t get a hospital, care center or retail in thier community to help with keeping our citizens in the community. Not to mention the job opportunities and better income resources. Who cares if you are mormon,catholic or ???? If you have the good of the community in mind and are willing to make sacrifices you should hold a government or community service position, and Donnie cares about the community. It’s though’s that only what to see the casino’s profit or want to spend taxpayer’s money friviously that you keep voting back in. I think the old saying is “if you don’t like what’s happening then maybe you should be running for that position”.