Raises and Rhetoric: How to Run a Government Straight Into a Wall

Read it and weep - the Washoe County Commissioners got a a big fat raise on July 1, 2025 - you know, yesterday. Oh, and so did the Washoe County Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor, Treasurer, Clerk, Recorder, and Public Administrator.

Just when you thought your local government couldn't get any more tone-deaf, Washoe County delivers again — this time with a $27 million deficit and raises for county elected officials. Because nothing says “fiscal responsibility” like giving yourself a pay bump while the ship is taking on water.

Thanks to legislative magic from Skip “Spin” Hansen and Commissioner Alexis Hill, a bill made its way through Carson City ensuring that county commissioners (yes, the ones running multimillion-dollar deficits) get more money — every year, for the next few years. Public service never paid so well, right?

Picon’s publisher is thinking about a run, once a Washoe County Planning Commissioner, now eyeing a commissioner seat. We know he’s joking but we can’t imagine why. The call to serve, or maybe it’s the steady pay raises and padded benefits while residents are being asked to cough up more for parks, infrastructure, and everything else the county forgot to fund over the past decade.

If this were a business, the board would be fired. But since it’s government? They get a raise and a round of applause from fellow insiders.

Let’s be clear: rural counties in Nevada do face challenges attracting candidates. A thoughtful bill might’ve excluded Clark and Washoe, where competition is healthy and the perks are already pretty cushy, and targeted help where it’s needed most. But no — instead, we get a statewide handout to politicians in the two counties least in need of a raise.

This isn’t leadership.

So next time someone tells you they’re running for office “to give back,” just ask: “To whom — the community, or their own bank account?”