Devon Reese - Public Office Doesn’t Come With a “No Critics Allowed” Clause …
Another business biting the dust in downtown Reno covered by Our Town Reno in the summer of 2025.
When silence isn’t an option: Devon Reese accidentally confirms he reads Mike’s Reno Report. Or he sure did about the recent “confirmation that Boise-based developer Ahlquist is no longer involved in the redevelopment of the former Harrah’s Reno hotel-casino” and downtown Boise.
It turns out Councilmember Devon Reese does read Mike’s Reno Report — or at least reads it closely enough to feel compelled to respond. Not with answers, mind you. Just vibes, deflection, and a carefully worded non-response that somehow managed to say everything while explaining nothing.
For a councilmember who routinely belittles local voices — we find it interesting he would respond to what Mike’s Reno Report, but the responsibility of the condition of Downtown Reno can land squarely at the feet of Mayor Hillary Schieve, Reese (who was the At-Large councilmember until November 2024), and the then Ward 1 councilmember- remember City of Reno redrew all those Ward lines leaving all the councilmembers conveniently living in their Wards. Reese’s sudden sensitivity is telling. Leonard clearly struck a nerve. And when politicians stop sneering and start defending, you know you’ve landed somewhere tender.
Our Town Reno picks up on Mike’s Reno Report article today … calling out Councilmember Devon Reese, oh and let’s not forget Reno Mayoral Candidate 2026.
Reese’s rebuttal tour was framed as a defense of his time on the City of Reno dais. That’s fair. If you’ve spent years in office, you should be able to point to accomplishments. The problem? Downtown Reno exists.
If Reese’s legacy is measurable by outcomes, downtown offers a visual aid: hollowed-out blocks, stalled dreams, and a city core that keeps getting “reimagined” while residents and small businesses are priced out or pushed aside. If this was the plan, mission accomplished. If not, someone forgot to read the blueprint.
Instead of addressing substance — redevelopment deals, policy choices, or the long list of decisions that helped turn downtown into a case study in missed opportunity — Reese opted for the familiar playbook: talk around the criticism, name-drop effort, and scold the messenger. Again.
But here’s the thing: public office doesn’t come with a “no critics allowed” clause. You don’t get to mock local journalists until one of them asks a question you don’t like — and then suddenly demand decorum.
The irony is rich. Reese didn’t refute Leonard’s points. He didn’t provide data. He didn’t explain outcomes. He simply made it clear that the article bothered him enough to warrant attention, and we’re not Boise. In politics, that’s an admission — not a rebuttal.
So yes, Devon Reese reads Mike’s Reno Report. And judging by the response, he reads it carefully. Because when a councilmember who’s spent years dismissing critics suddenly feels the urge to clap back, it’s not about ego.
It’s about legacy.
And downtown Reno is still waiting for one.
Does Councilmember Devon Reese write his own rebuttal to Mike’s Reno Report’s articles about downtown Reno, Boise, and the loss of the developer for the Harrah’s project - or does he campaign team? Interesting question.