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Comptroller Helen Bay thanked as she departs; residents press county on spending, audits
Summary
At the July 24 Nye County meeting residents and county staff praised Comptroller Helen Bay as she announced her departure; public commenters also criticized recent spending choices, urged audits of grant recipients, and asked for transparency on raises and fee increases.
Comptroller Helen Bay, who has served as Nye County's comptroller for the past two years, announced her departure at the July 24 board meeting and received repeated public and staff praise for her work on audits, the budget and the county's capital planning.
Multiple residents and county staff used the general public comment period to thank Bay for completing a challenging audit cycle, assisting with the budget, and helping to develop a debt management policy and capital improvement plan. Stephanie Elliott, Nye County contracts and grants manager, and Diana Carroll, assistant finance director, both spoke to express appreciation for Bay's guidance and support.
Several public commenters praised Bay by name and urged the board to seek a similarly qualified successor. Maryann Hollis said Bay's professionalism had left a strong impression, and Linda Clark urged the board to avoid nepotism and hire a qualified replacement.
At the same time, members of the public raised sharp fiscal concerns. Karen Waldman criticized the comptroller's role in recent spending decisions, saying on the record that some fees and projects had increased property taxes and that some projects were "reckless and unsustainable." Waldman also accused county leadership of approving raises and projects that she said taxpayers would ultimately fund. Those statements were made during public comment and were attributed to Waldman.
Resident Dwight Lilly urged an audit of the Nye County Coalition and requested copies of grant programs awarded to that organization. Lilly also raised concerns that some county-funded programs may no longer qualify under changes to federal benefit programs and asked the county to verify eligibility before funding.
Commissioners and staff discussed the structure of public comment at the meeting. The board removed a second public-comment period from the published agenda prior to the meeting; several commissioners said the removal was administrative and could be revisited. The board briefly reopened general public comment after the CIP vote to allow additional speakers.
Bay addressed the board and public, thanked her finance team and said the position had been a period of professional growth for her. No board action on the comptroller position or a hiring timeline was recorded in the meeting excerpt.
