No Cameras, No Accountability: Reno’s Silent Forums

City of Reno Forums with no accountability.

Recently, Reno’s Ward 1 and Ward 3 councilmembers held community forums—but don’t bother asking for a recording or meeting notes. There aren’t any. That’s right: no recordings, no transcripts, no official records.

These forums are pitched as chances for residents to connect directly with their elected officials—sort of like NABish meetings, but stripped of any formal accountability. And without documentation, what’s discussed simply vanishes into thin air. No public record. No follow-up. No way to hold anyone to their word.

It’s a curious strategy in a city that talks a big game about transparency. Unrecorded forums might be “convenient” for officials—no uncomfortable clips to resurface later—but they leave the public in the dark.

If leaders truly want to engage the community, they should start with the basics: documenting the conversation.