Fernley mayor outlines growth plan, budget priorities and hospital talks in State of the City

Good evening, Fernley residents. In a State of the City address, the mayor framed 2025 as a year of groundwork for growth and laid out priorities for 2026 that center on infrastructure, public services and economic development.

The mayor said the Community Response Resource Building — now home to the Boys & Girls Club — opened last year and that private donors funded an Early Learning Center expected to open in fall 2026 at no cost to taxpayers. “Our city is strong, but we can be stronger,” the mayor said, urging residents to stay engaged with volunteer groups and planning processes.

The mayor highlighted a multi-part land transfer from the Bureau of Land Management. Phase one conveyed eight parcels totaling 2,167 acres to the city and is already in hand; phase two would bring 15 additional parcels totaling 7,581 acres in the north, southwest and south plan areas and is expected to be finalized by 2027. He said the parcels present opportunities for recreation, public facilities and economic development.

Budget and finance were front and center. The mayor reported the city’s FY2024 comprehensive annual financial report earned a Government Finance Officers Association certificate for the 14th consecutive year and that the FY2025 audit returned an unmodified (clean) opinion. The general fund closed FY2025 with a $17.6 million balance, up $2.7 million year over year. Council has committed $2.7 million in COP funding for FY2026 capital projects and assigned $2.8 million for capital asset replacement. The mayor said the council approved the FY2026 budget with a one-time investment to address deferred maintenance and to add positions; the transcript does not provide a vote tally.

On water and wastewater, the mayor said utilities produced roughly 3.9 million gallons of potable water per day and reported no positive coliform results from 423 samples. Treatment metrics the mayor cited include turbidity at about 0.02 NTU, pH averaging 7.37 and arsenic averaging about 3.25 ppb, all within regulatory limits. The city completed a 1.5 million‑gallon treated-water reservoir to strengthen storage and resilience.

For streets and utilities, the mayor previewed the Cedar Street reconstruction project, which will address missing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and drainage and is expected to be bid soon. He said the water work will include approximately 1,500 lineal feet of new C900 PVC water main, new laterals, and sewer upgrades including an 8‑inch SDR35 sewer main and roughly nine manholes.

Parks and recreation featured prominently. The mayor described a planned 23‑acre pond-and-park site off Farm District Road across from Silverland Middle School; phase one will include the pond, parking and pathways, with later phases adding sports fields and other amenities. He also noted ongoing turf upgrades and planning to meet increasing demand from youth sports.

Public safety and courts: the mayor said the city and Lion County approved a partial consolidation of Fernley Municipal Court and Canal Township Justice Court. Once the remodel is finished — the mayor said it is expected to be completed in April — the municipal court will relocate into the county facility, add public kiosks for filing and payments, and move toward electronic filing.

Animal control initiatives included monthly microchip clinics (the mayor said 73 animals were microchipped over four months and the goal is 100 next year) and a food pantry that distributed more than 650 pounds of dry food since May. The mayor reported 561 calls for animal services in the year and 318 animals impounded, noting a shortage of cat shelter space.

Economic development items included continued private‑sector investment (examples listed by the mayor included the Port of Nevada and expansions at the Victory Logistics Center), Main Street Fernley activity and a $5,000 facade grant for downtown businesses. The city also submitted $3 million in community project funding to integrate canal surface water into treatment facilities and received $2 million toward that project; the mayor said the city is pursuing additional federal funding for wastewater plant improvements.

The mayor announced early-stage discussions with Renown Health executives about siting a small hospital in Fernley on city‑owned parcels near Interstate 80 and U.S. 50 and said a meeting with Renown leadership is scheduled for next week; he characterized the work as exploratory and promised updates after that meeting.

Other project updates included Nevada Pacific Parkway (design work at 60 percent), a planned new fire station with building plans submitted and an estimated 12–18 month construction period, an industrial‑park reconstruction project, and a major IT modernization contract with PAC States to move the city to a cloud-integrated system and expand IT support. The mayor also said the city has begun using a tool called Madison AI to assist staff work.

The mayor closed by restating the central message: the city is preparing its infrastructure and services to meet growth while preserving quality of life and invited resident participation in upcoming open houses and community planning events.

Sources: mayor’s State of the City address (transcript).