Fernley man takes Indian Hills manager job

Approval of a one-year contract on Wednesday sealed the hiring of Fernley resident and native Nevadan James Taylor as Indian Hills General Manager.

District board members unanimously approved the $77,000-a-year contract with Taylor. According to the agreement, Taylor officially started Nov. 4 in his new job. Part of the contract is that Taylor move to within 20 miles of the district within the next six months. If Taylor is terminated without cause under the contract, he would receive a month's salary.

Board members agreed to allow Taylor to accrue vacation at 120 hours a year instead of the 80 he would normally have as a new employee.

Taylor said he won't be taking the district's insurance, since he's happy with the insurance he has. The savings to the district will be $12,000 over the course of the year.

Taylor has been on the short list for manager since July. He was interviewed in October by the board along with three other applicants.

Taylor was born in Reno and grew up in Fallon, where he graduated from Churchill County High School in 1955.

He has 18 years of utility manager experience in Alaska, working with the Nome Joint Utility System until 1999, the City of Unalaska and the City of Sitka.

Taylor said he returned to Nevada to care for his mother and sister in 1999.

While living in Fernley, Taylor said he was director of the Fernley Area Development Council and chairman of the Park Commission and chairman of the Town Advisory Board.