White Pine County Clerk candidate Nichole Baldwin secured two major endorsement this week.
Baldwin, the chief deputy county clerk, received the nod from her boss and out going County Clerk Lin Burleigh and also from now retired County Clerk Donna Bath.
“I am very happy to publicly give my support to Nichole,” Burleigh said. “She is the only one of the candidates to have the experience of all the facets of the county clerk’s position and I believe she will maintain the integrity of the office.”
Bath also gave Baldwin her unequivocal support and said that she was the only candidate in race who was qualified to run the office.
Baldwin along with Patrice Lytle and Beth Rose are on the Republican primary ballot this June. The winner of that race goes on to face Democrat Debra Rivero in the November General election.
While Baldwin has the strong public support of two county clerks, Lytle might match her with some White Pine County Commissioners. Lytle support might however be doubled edged. Her current job as the Commission Manager was over the vigorous objections of Burleigh and Bath who claimed that the position usurped the duties of County Clerk.
Originally a part time position with the pay of about $20,000 in 2011, Lytle was made a full time county employee in 2012 with annual pay and benefits of close to $70,000.
According to Bath the extra expense was completely unnecessary and politically motivated.
“Everything the Commission Manager does such as keeping minutes of the commission meeting can and should be done by the County Clerk from the budget of the Clerk’s office.” Bath said.
One county commissioner, Mike Coster, agrees with the retired clerk and in a memo to the commission this week suggested that Lytle position be returned to the part time post as it was first created as part of budget cutting effort instead of a county wide tax increase.
