Douglas County Commission candidates sounded more like colleagues than contenders Thursday night, agreeing on the growth management ordinance and school continuation bond and opposing the massive Park development.
Candidates for commission Districts 1, 3 and 5 answered questions submitted by audience members at a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters at the CVIC Hall in Minden.
Heading into early voting and the Nov. 4 general election, the tone of the questions reflected the nation's economic troubles that impact every budget " government or household.
How to finance state-mandated county social service programs brought up concerns over the availability of mental health resources.
"I lost two friends over the last 12 months to suicide," said Mike Olson, Republican challenger for District 5.
"They had no hope. I support faith-based services to help people until we build the economy back up," he said.
Democratic challenger Nancy Epstein said tough economic times would create greater need for mental health services.
"Douglas County Mental Health has done a good job, but with a 13 percent (state budget) cut, 2009 is going to get a lot worse before it gets better," she said.
Greg Lynn, Republican District 1 candidate, pointed out the county's limited ability to manage its budget because of state mandates.
"We have to keep up the best possible care we can to keep (indigent) older people out of care facilities you taxpayers pay for," Lynn said.
Candidates favored a community center, but questioned how to build and maintain it.
Independent American Party candidate Eric Rieman, challenging Republican incumbent Doug Johnson for the District 3 seat, suggested pairing seniors and children who attend after-school programs like the Boys & Girls Club.
"We might be able to get more funding if we put the groups together. The younger kids would keep the 'older kids' more energetic. It's tough, but it could be done," Rieman said.
Johnson said the transient occupancy tax " based on casino room rentals " falls short every year.
"We'll never find the money to build a new community center. We could build it with volunteers, but the problem is keeping it running," he said.
He said the solution may be move funding for senior services to the county's general fund.
Democrat Anje de Knijf, who is challenging Lynn, said the county's economic health presented diverse challenges.
"We need to have a balanced budget and still provide valued and needed services. We need to preserve our wonderful, rural quality of life by attracting light manufacturing, soaring and gaming in north Douglas County," she said.
Democrat Joetta Brown and Independent American David Schumann led the evening off discussing their candidacies for Nevada Assembly District 39.
"All adults in this room share the responsibility for dumbing down our children," Schumann said. "Our own American high school kids are 28th in math and 17th in science."
Schumann advocated school choice for parents and turning education over to private industry.
"We don't need to pay teachers more until they do a better job," he said.
Brown said she would rely in her 30 years banking experience to do a line-item state budget review, calling for more "structured accountability."
"We need new sources of revenue. We can't keep relying on gaming and mining," Brown said.
Both candidates said they would fight to preserve the rural character of Douglas County and Northern Nevada.
"My hope and desire is that Douglas County and Northern Nevada not look like Las Vegas. It's out of control, they've built a city within a city," she said.
"This is not Los Angeles; this is not San Francisco," Schumann said. "A lot of us escaped from there. This is desert. It can't just keep on growing."
Republican incumbent Assemblyman James Settelmeyer did not participate.
About 50 people attended the forum that is to be aired on cable Channel 26.
