So… does Commissioner Garcia still support Sheriff Balaam the way she said she did from the dais on August 22, 2023 — or not?

That was a very public statement of support. No ambiguity. No qualifiers.

Let’s rewind the tape—because history matters, and so do facts.

Back in 2021, then–Washoe County Assessor Mike Clark had reached his limit. Public records that by law should have been readily available were anything but. District Attorney Chris Hicks’ office appeared unwilling—if not outright resistant—to produce them. So Clark did what citizens are allowed to do: he hired a private investigator and lawfully obtained public records tied to lawsuits, internal investigations, and court filings. Every document mailed to influential Washoe County figures already existed in the public domain.

Gregg Kidd is at it again. Last week, the well-funded would-be public servant hosted yet another “Meeting the Moment: Affordability Crisis” town hall at Reno Public Market, promising a thoughtful conversation about rising costs—groceries, rent, electricity—and how Northern Nevada might chart a more equitable future.

It all sounded earnest. Familiar, even.

But then came the panel.

Well golly. It appears former Washoe County Manager Eric Brown has been job-hunting for about six months now—with no takers.

Are we surprised? Not even a little.

Brown governed from an ivory tower, punching down on rank-and-file employees, rewarding his direct reports, while turning a blind eye to taxpayers. Instead, he made sure to reward his inner circle—Bob Lucey, Vaughn Hartung, Alexis Hill, and Mariluz Garcia—while the people footing the bill were treated as an inconvenience.

It’s a fair question—and one Washoe County residents are starting to ask out loud.

Commissioner Alexis Hill ran in 2024 telling voters she wanted nothing more than to serve the people of Washoe County. Then Donald Trump was elected president and—almost overnight—Hill announced she was “compelled” to run for governor of Nevada. Apparently, the calling to serve District 1 came with an asterisk.

Picon got more than a little entertainment out of the latest Washoe County Library Board of Trustees meeting. Public comment has officially crossed into slapstick territory, and frankly, we enjoyed every minute.

We were mildly amused yesterday when we were sent the Washoe County Justice Report—complete with a meme of Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks.

The report referenced a Picon story about the difficulty of obtaining public records and noted that we escalated the issue to DA Hicks and members of his staff. That part is true. What the report left out is that we’ve written numerous stories over the years about our ongoing battles to obtain public records from the District Attorney’s Office.

When Kim Koschmann went to the Reno Police Department to complain about Karma Box Project’s Executive Director Grant Denton who she had been dating. Kim says she was given advice that still echoes: it would be better not to “poke the bear.” According to Kim, officers warned her that Denton would know she was attempting to obtain a temporary restraining order. The clear message was to let it drop.

At the time, Kim wasn’t just uncomfortable — she says she was afraid for her life, a concern she directly expressed to the Reno Police Department. Yet she was discouraged from moving forward. No stakeout. No visible show of urgency. No apparent protective response.

Fast forward.

“Here you come again… Because here comes Matt Polley — again — applying for yet another county board.

This time, Polley has submitted an application for the Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission, complete with a letter of recommendation from Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese. The problem? That letter wasn’t written for parks. It was written to support Polley’s appointment to the Northern Nevada Health District Board — and it’s already part of an active lawsuit.

We noticed Commissioner Mike Clark posted a list of Sun Valley properties in need of intervention — parcels where people appear to be living without maintaining the land and, in some cases, without even owning it.

That alone raised eyebrows.

What raised more eyebrows was the sudden urgency from Commissioner Mariluz Garcia, who made a bit of a public hoopla over the issue — despite saying she’s been “working on this problem” for the last three years.

Three years?

When Chris Hicks was first elected Washoe County District Attorney, the sky truly seemed to be the limit. Those in the know believed he would go far. He was viewed as a rising star with promise, ambition, and opportunity.

But time took its toll.

Somewhere along the way, Hicks strayed from a basic principle of public service: the District Attorney is there to serve the taxpayers of Washoe County — not himself, not his friends, and not a circle of powerful supporters.

When The Nevada Independent recently reported that ICE arrests in Nevada don’t happen through dramatic raids, but rather through targeted, coordinated actions—often with the cooperation of local law enforcement—it triggered a memory we couldn’t shake.

Gregg Kidd is back—once again attempting to “understand” Northern Nevada.

The well-funded would-be public servant is hosting yet another Meeting the Moment: Affordability Crisis Town Hall on Tuesday, January 21, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the Reno Public Market. Hosted by This Is Reno, Kidd says the event follows up on a March town hall meant to hear how everyday Nevadans are coping with rising costs—groceries, electricity, rent—and to gather ideas on making Northern Nevada more affordable and equitable.

Picon was out in the field yesterday following up on a Gregg Kidd story and missed the Sparks City Council meeting. That turned out to be unfortunate timing—because we almost missed what may be one of the most telling moments of the meeting, delivered casually by none other than Mayor Ed Lawson himself.

Last week, Washoe County crews seemed determined to coat every road surface in sight with slurry in preparation for winter weather. Meanwhile, a number of City of Reno residents reached out with the same question: where was the slurry? Because many of us didn’t see any.

To be fair, the City of Reno isn’t exactly doing nothing. The city has largely shifted away from traditional slurry-style pre-treatment and now relies primarily on brining — a saltwater solution applied ahead of storms to keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. Sand and salt mixes are then used as secondary measures, especially on hills, curves, intersections, and known trouble spots.

Washoe County has launched a new pilot program allowing people living in their cars a place to park overnight at the Our Place campus in Sparks, billed as a compassionate response to homelessness. The program offers six first-come, first-served parking spaces through May 15, along with access to showers, restrooms, laundry, and meals.

On paper, it sounds humane.

In reality, it raises deeply troubling questions — especially about where this program is being placed and who may be put at risk.

I had one hell of a week — the kind that reminds you why local history still matters.

Honored to sit in on a meeting with Commissioner Mike Clark and announced District 3 commission candidate Troy Regas. Talking with Troy feels like a moment in time. Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County have changed — a lot — and yet somehow stayed the same.

If you somehow missed Washoe County is looking for a new library director we thought we’d point it out. All while Washoe County stares down a huge budget deficit.

Yes, really.

Washoe County is currently recruiting a Library Director with a salary range of $146,681.60 to $205,358.40, with the first resume review set for Friday, January 9, 2026. That’s a healthy paycheck for any season — but especially curious timing when the county is tightening belts elsewhere.

A recently listed Reno home at 1620 Harold Drive is raising eyebrows over what appears to be a dramatic four-month flip, advertised renovations, and unanswered questions about permits, zoning, and disclosure requirements.

The property, APN 002-261-07, was purchased on August 20, 2025, for $267,000, according to Washoe County document #5563119. The buyer was Shasta Properties LLC, a Nevada entity (E0499092017-3). The listed resident agent for Shasta Properties is Brandon Goles, who is also the listing agent for the property’s current sale.

Tonight’s City of Reno Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory meeting includes a big agenda item: the proposed closing or repurposing of several Washoe County schools located in Ward 3.

One of the presenters? Washoe County School Board Trustee Beth Smith.