The financial saga unfolding at Washoe County Library raises more questions than a mystery novel. With a base budget of $12 million annually, the library system has accumulated additional funding requests to stay “whole” $1.3 million from the Washoe County General Fund and $3.2 million from the Library Expansion fund — and now we’ve got Baker & Tayler $850,000 and OverDrive, Inc. $300,000 asks from recently-resigned director Jeff Scott on the commission agenda on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

The Washoe County District Attorney's Office and their Public Information Officer are certainly vocal when celebrating their wins—like the recent four life sentences handed to a child abuser. Press releases, media alerts, perhaps even a congratulatory social media post or two.

Yet a deafening silence surrounds questions about a more recent tragedy: the April 2025 death of five-year old Izabella Loving whose father now faces charges with the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office is investigating. What's conspicuously missing from the DA's outreach efforts is any transparency regarding Washoe County Human Services Agency's potential involvement with this family. The information we are being sent is shocking but nothing can be verified due to the investigation, but Human Services Agency must be accountable if any of the information we have been sent turns out to be factual.

Is Washoe County playing a shell game with building priorities? Commissioner Mike Clark's persistent quest for radon test results at the Washoe County Courthouse raises some interesting questions about project sequencing.

Clark has reportedly been trying for months to obtain radon testing data from 2017/2018, along with results from tests supposedly conducted in February 2025. His struggle to access this basic public safety information is curious, to say the least.

Commissioner Clark frequently reaches out to us at Picon since the other three commissioners give us the silent treatment. As for Commissioner Herman? After eleven years of being ignored on the commission, who knows if she's still engaged or has mentally checked out.

Mayor Hillary Schieve has heroically drawn her mightiest weapon—the strongly worded letter—after Renown already closed the Crisis Care Center doors. With the timing precision of someone showing up with a fire extinguisher after the house has burned down, the mayor is now "questioning" Renown's decision to shutter vital mental health services.

As local governments scramble to patch their leaking financial ships—with Washoe County, Sparks, and Reno all millions in the red—they've settled on the usual solution: deeper dives into taxpayer pockets. Increased fees, passed on charges, some say, sales tax hikes are circling the drain, and "fire consolidation assessments" have become the preferred alternative to actual fiscal responsibility - (translation: moving money around so Reno - Sparks - Washoe County can spend fire budgets to run the city/county, because if State Senator Skip Daly, Mayor Ed Lawson, Commissioner Alexis Hill, and Mayor Hillary Schieve have their way, residents will pay an assessment to fund fire services - slick, right).

Last week County Manager Eric Brown took a vacation and left one of his Assistant County Managers in charge - seems like lack of transparency has a trickle down effect at Washoe County.

In what has become Washoe County's standard operating procedure, deflect, deny, hide the facts, officials sat on news of a deputy public defender's Las Vegas arrest for four days—miraculously finding their voices only when the Las Vegas Review-Journal prepared to publish the story. Apparently, the county's definition of "public information" is "whatever we can no longer hide."

Washoe County offers some of their hiring practices in writing after persistent questioning. But they've left the most critical question unanswered: Who selects the screening committees?

This isn't just bureaucratic nitpicking - it's the foundation of the entire hiring process.

Commissioner Mike Clark reached out to our published as the gentlemen were eating chucker at a wild game dinner and fundraiser, come on folks it is still Nevada.

Clark mentioned his frustrations surrounding the historic courthouse, and was surprised when he received an email from Alicia Lerud, the Clerk of the Court, in January 2025, regarding his question on the dais as to radon testing. He questions if the building is referred to as a “bit of a frankenbuilding” why the courthouse judges and staff are not in front of the Board of County Commissioners at every meeting pleading their case needing a new building. Put it on the record constantly was Clark’s opinion. You know, squeaky wheel kind of thing.

Who knew our culinary adventure sampling a $4 gourmet disappointment at the Washoe County Senior Center's makeshift cafeteria would lead to such bureaucratic pearl-clutching?

Picture this: while digesting our questionable meal at the "under renovation" center (a phrase we use loosely, as "planning" appears to be a foreign concept in county vocabulary), we took a little constitutional and snapped a few innocent photos of some rather interesting signage.

Commissioner Clara Andriola has been taking victory laps around the county building for her revolutionary brainchild: the Washoe County Checkbook. This digital wonder promises to unveil the mysteries of county finances to the masses.

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, we'll all be treated to a special tutorial where county staff is suppose to be showing all of us how to use Checkbook.

Remember that old saying about history repeating itself? Well, grab your wallets, Nevadans, because AJR1—the sequel nobody asked for—is now playing at a legislature near you.

This blockbuster tax hike (previously known as SJR14 in its 2017 flop) has risen from the political graveyard with a simple plot: extract more property tax dollars from your pockets. Why? Because apparently our local governments have developed expensive tastes they can't seem to kick.

In a world where genuine compassion is increasingly replaced by technological band-aids, Washoe County has unveiled its latest "solution" to human suffering: a box with a screen.

Anthem, Inc. has magnanimously bestowed $400,000 for a gleaming CareStation—a sterile, standalone unit promising "hybrid medical care"—at the 9th Street Senior Center. How very innovative, yet misguided.

Oh, how delightful. Washoe County Government has once again proven that they can't resist jumping into the social media fray, apparently believing their defensive comments are some kind of brilliant strategic move. Spoiler alert: they're not.

Let's break this down for the cheap seats: These public servants seem more interested in playing digital damage control than actually serving the residents who pay their salaries. It's like watching a desperate PR team try to plug holes in a sinking ship - except the ship is local government, and the holes are their own spectacular mismanagement.

Our Town Reno reported on this death at the Nevada CARES Campus yesterday. Commissioner Mike Clark sent the FYI announcement to the press. Why are we now reporting on this? Because the tenor of the email just really pissed us off, this is a human life.

The Washoe County manager and assistant county manager's response to a death at the Nevada CARES Campus appears to demonstrate a deeply troubling lack of human empathy. Reducing a human being's death to a mere "FYI" (For Your Information) memo reveals a disturbing bureaucratic detachment from the fundamental value of human life.

Please read to the bottom of this article and look at the complaint filed by criminal attorney Theresa Ristenpart. You’ll want to note the troubling information about Sober 24 and their testing methods “Including Forcing Pretrial Client to Strip Search Before Testing” - say what? Was County Manager Eric Brown and his staff aware this was taking place at Sober 24?

Has County Manager Eric Brown suddenly morphed into a legal expert, "warning" commissioners to keep quiet about the Justin Roper investigation. His excuse? Speaking might "risk of possibly interfering" with the law enforcement investigation or is it an "HR matter." Keep up Eric, choose one.

In a surprising display of priorities, Washoe County officials sprang into action after offensive "Zoom Bombers" crashed an Animal Advisory Board meeting—but couldn't be bothered when the exact same thing happened to a room full of senior citizens earlier this month.

County Commissioner Mike Clark called out this blatant double standard during yesterday's commissioner comments, noting that when the Senior Advisory Board meeting was disrupted on February 5th, the response was essentially a half-hearted email saying "Oops, our bad!" Meanwhile, the recent animal board incident triggered a full-scale response with County Manager Eric Brown and the IT Director suddenly developing an intense interest in Zoom security protocols.

On February 3, 2025, Commission Chair Alexis Hill and County Manager Eric Brown made quite the presentation at the Nevada Legislature, claiming they've reduced homelessness in Washoe County by 40%.

Let's Talk About Déjà Vu:

• Haven't we heard this magical 40% number before? or was it 50% back in 2023?

• Wasn't it proven false last time?

• Where's the data to back up this recycled claim?

Once again, Washoe County is playing fast and loose with taxpayer dollars, serving up a masterclass in how NOT to manage public funds. Let's break down the latest installment of "Who Benefits?"

Exhibit A: The Seven Magic Mountains Boondoggle Remember those rocks that Commission Chair Alexis Hill decided must be relocated Northern Nevada via the Nevada Museum of Art? A cool $500,000 of taxpayer money, and what do we get?

One of our “sleuthie” readers ran into the attached document the Washoe County FY21-25 Strategic Plan – FY25 Update and while reading through it identified two interesting notations about the Washoe County Library.