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Elko council directs city manager to negotiate with Dr. Kyle Ward for police chief post
Summary
After public interviews with two finalists, the Elko City Council directed the city manager to negotiate an offer to Dr. Kyle Ward for Elko police chief. Council members praised both finalists and approved the directive by voice vote following a combined scoring process.
The Elko City Council voted June 10 to direct the city manager to negotiate and present a formal job offer to Dr. Kyle Ward for the position of Elko Police Chief, after public interviews of two finalists and a scoring process by council members and staff.
The council held public finalist interviews as part of its appointment process. Dr. Kyle Ward, one of the finalists, outlined more than two decades of public-safety experience and emphasized wellness, succession planning and community engagement. "You listen, you learn, and you build trust," Ward told the council during his presentation, describing a 30/60/90 approach that begins with listening to officers and community members before recommending changes.
The other finalist, Wade Lyons of Austin, highlighted recruiting and training initiatives he said improved diversity and preparedness in his previous roles. Lyons noted his work on training modernization and community-policing integration in larger agencies and proposed to adapt those practices to Elko.
After both candidates spoke and council members completed score sheets (including one remote councilmember), staff tallied the combined scores. Council announced totals of 588 points for Dr. Kyle Ward and 516 for Wade Lyons. Several council members praised the strengths of both finalists; the mayor and councilmembers said Ward’s Nevada credentials and the council’s scoring led them to the same conclusion.
Councilmember Claire Morris moved to direct the city manager to negotiate and offer employment to Dr. Kyle Ward, with the understanding that the formal appointment will follow a conditional offer and completion of required testing and background checks. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
According to the council’s process, the City Manager will handle negotiations and the successful candidate will return to the council for formal appointment after conditions of employment are satisfied. The council did not announce compensation or the timetable for a formal appointment during the meeting.
Speakers quoted and cited in this report appeared in the public video and transcript of the June 10 meeting. The council recessed briefly after the interviews to allow staff to tally scores before returning to announce results and act on the recommendation.
