Gosh, golly, gee wiz — who knew Commissioner Clara Andriola’s idea of “representing the people” meant doing exactly what the Washoe County Deputy District Attorney whispers in her ear? Forget listening to residents in Incline Village and Crystal Bay. Forget weighing community concerns. No, Clara’s job apparently boils down to one simple task: raise her hand when told.

Oh, the great fire study fix …

Did anyone actually take the time to watch the Regional Fire Services Study Board make its debut on September 4 at 10 a.m.? Probably not. But for those who did, it was a show worth critiquing.

The board is stacked with two reps each from the City of Sparks, City of Reno, and Washoe County. Logical enough. But what’s not logical is who didn’t make the cut: Commissioners Mike Clark and Jeanne Herman — the only two commissioners with firsthand wildfire scars in their districts. Instead, we got Clara Andriola and Mariluz Garcia. Why? Don’t ask — just “call it good to go.”

If you’ve ever tuned into a Washoe County Commission meeting, you know the drill: Commissioners Clara Andriola, Alexis Hill, and Mariluz Garcia take turns singing the praises of county staff like they’re nominating them for sainthood. Not to say Commissioners Herman and Clark don’t heap on some compliments, but they avoid gushing.

Commissioner Mariluz Garcia wants “rules of procedure” for the Washoe County Board of Fire Commissioners. Sounds harmless enough, right? Just a little housekeeping on decorum and best practices. But anyone watching closely saw what this really was: not about efficiency, not about process — but about publicly taking Commissioner Mike Clark to the woodshed.

Nevada’s state systems were down for a week. Data has been exfiltrated in a “sophisticated, ransomware-based attack.” And we thought it was a legitimate question to ask if Washoe County’s $240,000-a-year Chief Information Officer, Behzad Zamanian was in Reno when he wrote the Monday memo.

According to the Reno Gazette Journal, Zamanian works less than five days a month in Reno—spending the rest of his time in Southern California. So when Monday’s update went out detailing the crisis, it was fair to ask: Was Zamanian in Reno or phoning it in from a beachside café. Or we thought so, guess a county employee disagreed.

A chilling comment made its way through Washoe County’s 311 system—a platform designed for service requests, not hate-filled threats. The message didn’t just criticize policy. It openly threatened the lives of county commissioners and anyone riding a motorcycle in Northern Nevada:

“Shame on you and you stupid white mfs I hope you guys get voted out… If I see one of those bikers I’m stepping on the gas and letting that scum fly over my car.”

This is not political speech. It is a promise of violence. And yet—where is District Attorney Chris Hicks?

The Reno Gazette-Journal’s Mark Robison recently posted a piece by political analyst Louis Jacobson of the Crystal Ball suggesting Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan should drop his bid for Washoe County District Attorney and instead run for Nevada Attorney General. Interesting timing—and even more interesting implications.

Current DA Chris Hicks is facing what could be the toughest challenge of his career. Duncan, with a campaign war chest reportedly over $500,000, is a serious contender. Hicks, meanwhile, is stumbling through missteps, from the growing dysfunction inside his office to questionable charging decisions and opaque settlements.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) has announced the launch of a comprehensive community survey designed to better understand the needs, concerns, and experiences of residents across the county. Developed in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno, this initiative in attempting to represent a step toward strengthening community-police relationships and improving public safety services.

Another day, another Washoe County official who’s suddenly been Checked Out. This week’s edition: Library Assistant Director Stacy McKenzie, who has taken a “temporary leave of absence” with no explanation. Sound familiar? It should—it’s practically the county’s house style.

Remember, McKenzie only took over when former Library Director Jeff Scott Closed the Book on his tenure back in April 2025. That “resignation” was widely rumored to be more like Resignation Before Termination—a genre Washoe County has mastered. Now McKenzie herself is on leave, with Assistant County Manager David Solaro overseeing daily operations. Translation: the staff who actually keep the shelves standing are doing the real work, while the county just fiddles with the Table of Contents.

In a dizzying twist of local political irony, Washoe County Library Trustee Marie Rodriguez — once a recipient of Commissioner Mike Clark’s support — appears to be smearing him as the secret ringleader of a so-called “mob” that attends commission meetings for about a year now.

In a public email to Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam, Rodriguez paints a scene fit for a made-for-TV thriller: she claims that emotionally charged public commenters, whom she labels as followers of political figure Robert Beadles, descend on county meetings and — get this — are silenced only when Commissioner Clark allegedly gives a “gesture.”

We almost let out a sigh of relief when Washoe County Manager Eric Brown packed up and rode off into retirement. Not because we're ungrateful (well, maybe a little), but because we thought one particular pet project might quietly fade into the bureaucratic sunset: the Washoe Leadership Academy.

You remember it — the program dusted off and rebranded under Brown’s watch, pumped full of self-congratulatory rhetoric and framed as the next great investment in “leadership.” A noble idea on its surface, sure. But let’s not kid ourselves — this thing wasn’t designed to nurture leaders so much as to cultivate admirers, and it would seem you need to be a graduate of the academy in order to be appointed to a county board of commission. Brain-washing anyone?

The Punch Line: When you've got budget shortfalls and big regulatory battles brewing, rolling the dice on lobbying is sometimes seen as the smarter bet than silent suffering—or public backlash.

Spending Spree? Alexis Hill’s $75,000 discretionary blowout raised a few eyebrows. If Washoe County taxpayers are wondering where fiscal responsibility went, they might find it buried under a pile of discretionary receipts. On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, just seven days into the new fiscal year, Commission Chair Alexis Hill reportedly spent $75,000 of her $100,000 discretionary fund—a bold move, especially with the county staring down the barrel of a $27 million budget deficit.

Let that sink in: while departments are keeping positions vacant, taxpayers are being warned of potential service reductions, and the county floats ideas of tax hikes, the Chair of the Commission is spending taxpayer funds like it's Black Friday in July.

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?

A contentious online exchange highlights the urgent need for third-party verification of county homelessness claims.

A heated social media exchange between two local figures has crystallized a critical question that Washoe County officials have been avoiding for years: Why won't they allow an independent audit of their homelessness programs and spending?

As the City of Reno and Washoe County shake hands over the idea of a new parks district, residents are right to ask: what’s really growing here—green space or government?

The City of Reno has signed a $223,550 taxpayer-funded contract with PROS Consulting to explore a new Service Plan, a first step toward creating a park district. This sounds nice on paper—more trails, open space, and recreation—but let’s not forget: this is also the first step toward new taxes.

As cowboys, rodeo fans, and tourists poured into Reno for the annual Reno Rodeo, some local seniors at the 9th Street Senior Center were witnessing a different kind of roundup — one that has nothing to do with bucking broncos or barrel racing.

According to several residents who frequent the center, during the rodeo brought an unusual level of law enforcement activity to their street. Seniors say sheriff’s deputies and county employees were patrolling the area immediately outside the county fence that encloses the senior center and adjacent county facilities — an area long known to be an unofficial campsite for people experiencing homelessness.

Washoe County might want to invest in mucking boots — not just for the fairgrounds, but for the growing pile of bureaucratic nonsense it keeps stepping in. This week’s rodeo stunt? A memo quietly urging county employees to work from home because gasp... the Reno Rodeo makes it hard to park.

Let’s get this straight: After over 100 years of the Reno Rodeo, now it’s too difficult for county employees to do their jobs from the office? Welcome to the Wild West, folks, where public servants apparently clock in from the couch when parking gets inconvenient.

Once again, Washoe County's Human Services Agency has proven they fundamentally don't understand the people they're supposed to serve. In a masterclass of poor communication, the county announced today that the senior center would be closing June 30th for 14 days of flooring work.

Seven days' notice. For a 14-day closure. To people who live by their calendars and plan their lives around routine and reliability. Let’s remember the last ‘remodel’ of the 9th Street Senior Center was delayed by a couple of weeks - could that happen in Sparks - sure Washoe County Government doesn’t care. This is the same pattern of not caring on the part of the county staff the art of not giving a damn

Remember back on February 5, 2025 Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill and now retiring County Manager Eric Brown told us they have homelessness under control. Hill told the Nevada Legislature’s Senate Committee on Government Affairs that Washoe County had reduced homelessness by 40%. Now you all remember the media sort of tore that number apart and the propaganda princesses at Washoe County put a new spin on it trying to invent a way to explain the ridiculous claim.

Based on our story yesterday about the homeless barbeque along the river we thought this increased tax wallet grab is a good reminder of all that money residents are spending on the homeless, for what? And now Commissioner Alexis Hill wants more of your hard earned cash.