“District 3’s Queen and the Kingdom of Washoe County
With the safe-sleeping site seeing so little actual use, it’s fair to ask whether the amount of county staff time and energy devoted to the process matched the results. The bigger question some are raising isn’t just about policy effectiveness, but whether political maneuvering and over-planning turned what could have been a practical solution into an underused one.
Picon continues to marvel at the rare and mysterious presence of Her Highness, Commissioner Mariluz Garcia — a public servant said to possess the wisdom of Job, though she appears to keep most of it locked away from the very public she serves. Our humble observation is that she descends from the political mountaintop mainly when votes are required, and otherwise communicates through carefully polished statements and county staff intermediaries.
We can’t help but recall when Commissioner Mike Clark floated the idea of allowing overnight vehicle parking in a county lot for individuals sleeping in their cars — an idea that at least attempted to balance compassion with practicality. You remember when Commissioners Hill, Garcia, and Andriola passed a 3–2 vote, making it a misdemeanor to camp on county property, live in vehicles on public land, or camp within 1,000 feet of the Truckee River. After two hours of emotional public comment back in March of 2024 — much of it from faith-based organizations pleading for alternatives — Commissioners Alexis Hill and Mariluz Garcia voted in favor after questioning the ordinance a year earlier.
Speaking for the Sheriff’s Office, Chief Deputy Corey Solferino noted the ordinance brings Washoe County in line with Reno and Sparks. That would be the same Corey Solferino widely rumored to be next in line for sheriff when Darin Balaam eventually steps aside — a political succession story that seems to get retold every election cycle with slightly different timing. Rumor is, if Balaam is reelected in 2026 he is only planning on serving two years of the term. Nothing like electing someone with a retirement date in the middle of his term. Thus tapping Solferino to take his place.
Commissioner Garcia’s justification centered on constituent complaints about illegal dumping and fire hazards in District 3. Fair concerns, certainly. But critics point out that some of those very issues stem from long-neglected “zombie properties” that, two years later, remain stubbornly unresolved. The explanation? More time is needed from county staff — a phrase that has become Washoe County’s unofficial motto.
Meanwhile, Clark’s earlier parking-lot proposal appears to have been quietly shelved, replaced with discussions about relocating services to facilities already tasked with protecting women and children — locations that would naturally require stricter controls and limited access. Which raises the inevitable political question: was the goal a workable solution, or simply the appearance of action? You know, the county helping Garcia with press to keep her seat.
And then there’s the optics. Clark, by several accounts, wasn’t even fully looped into later planning conversations. In the grand theater of county politics, it leaves the impression of one commissioner steering the bus while another waits at a stop where the route may have already changed.
Picon, of course, merely observes the choreography. In Washoe County government, timing is everything, communication is selective, and the difference between collaboration and coincidence often depends on who’s holding the meeting invite.