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.

In a rare display of unified resistance, Washoe County's independently elected officials have issued a pointed letter to the Board of County Commissioners expressing serious concerns about proposed budget reductions. The April 22nd letter—representing the County Clerk, Recorder, Treasurer, Public Administrator, and Assessor—reveals deepening tensions between these constitutional officers and County Manager Eric Brown's administration.

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.

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.

Remember those campaign trail promises? You know, the ones where candidates smiled, shook hands, and studiously avoided mentioning the fiscal elephant lurking in the room? Congratulations, voters - you've just witnessed the most impressive disappearing act since Houdini: the complete evaporation of campaign transparency.

The Pre-election playbook from Sparks Councilmember’s Anderson, Dahir, and Abbott, Reno Sparks Councilmember’s Anderson, Taylor, Martinez, and Reese, and Washoe County Commissioners Hill and Andriola was to stay mute about the financial woes the cities and county were facing in the next fiscal year. Assemblymember Natha Anderson didn’t tell voters she wanted to raise property taxes at all those campaign meet and greets in 2024.

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.

Amid a $27 million budget deficit, Washoe County's funding of the Tahoe Prosperity Center raises serious questions about fiscal responsibility and potential conflicts of interest.

Key Concerns:

• Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill sits on the board of the Tahoe Prosperity Center

• The county previously allocated $47,500 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to the organization on July 18, 2023

• A proposed $10,000 funding allocation remains under consideration? Or is it?

Washoe County's telecommuting policy reads like a meticulous rulebook—except nobody seems to be following the rules.

The timing raises eyebrows: updated October 15, 2021, roughly nine months after Chief Information Officer Behzad Zamanian began working remotely. Was the policy conveniently rewritten to accommodate the person overseeing the county's digital security working from... somewhere else?

While Washoe County happily cashes your tax checks, they've blown past legal deadlines to answer a simple question: Where are your public servants actually working?

The public records request Picon made is straightforward asking about a specific employee. We are asking for a copy of County Manager Eric Brown’s approval for remote work. Much like the Washoe County IT Director Behzad Zamanian.

Someone at the county is singing like a canary. What prompted the RGJ to suddenly request badge data for IT Director Behzad Zamanian? Our sources inside the 9th Street building tell all.

It seems Zamanian's IT staff have had ENOUGH of their boss's ghost routine. Five years in, and he's still playing the "remote work" card with zero effort to actually move to Nevada. But wait—there's more.

The plot thickens at Washoe County, where Manager Eric Brown seems awfully eager to defend his CIO's unusual work arrangement. But why rush to defend if there's nothing to hide?

Let's follow the breadcrumbs: Someone "prompted" Greater Reno/Mark Robison to look into Behzad Zamanian's hybrid work situation. Who's the mysterious deep throat feeding tips to journalists? And more importantly—why? And how did Brown learn of this?

Hold onto your seats, Washoe County residents.

What in the name of governmental incompetence just happened? In a jaw-dropping turn of events that would make even the most seasoned political watchers spit out their morning coffee, the Washoe County Sober 24 program has collapsed.

Remember when Commissioner Alexis Hill was singing Justin Roper's praises like he was the second coming of rehabilitation management? "Amazing program!" she gushed. "Congratulations on the impact award!" Those words are now echoing with a haunting irony that could shatter glass.

FEDERAL MARSHALS. SEIZED. DOCUMENTS.

Washoe County's January 28th Strategic Planning Meeting wasn't so much a planning session as it was a carefully orchestrated performance. County Manager Eric Brown paraded his loyal appointees before the commissioners in what amounted to an elaborate puppet show—department heads and direct reports dutifully describing a county running like clockwork under Brown's exceptional leadership and planning for the future.

The charade of commissioners directing the county's future course? Pure theater. At Washoe County, the ship sails only in the direction Brown charts, regardless of what elected officials might prefer. These are the same Brown-selected officials who crafted Commissioner Alexis Hill's presentation to the Nevada Legislature's Senate Committee on Government Affairs—the one where she boldly claimed a 40% reduction in homelessness, a figure so dubious it deserves its own category of creative accounting.

At the Washoe County Board of County Commission Meeting on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 after the presentation from the newly appointed Registrar of Voter Andrew McDonald there were questions.

One asked by Commissioner Mike Clark wondered if he could be sent The Elections Group list of categories which was highlighted by McDonald on Page 11 of his presentation. Clark noted that some recommendations (96) have been completed, others are in progress, not started, or no action at this time. Clark asked if a list of the categories could be sent to him.

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.

When did selecting a Registrar of Voters become a classified operation?

County Manager Eric Brown has turned what should be a transparent process into a closed-door affair, complete with non-disclosure agreements. Let that sink in: A committee filled with county employees selecting someone to oversee our elections are being sworn to secrecy.

Welcome to the latest episode of "Who Really Cares About Seniors?" starring our very own Washoe County Commission.

In this corner: Commissioner Mike Clark, actual admitted senior citizen and long-time champion of senior issues. In that corner: Commissioner Clara "Photo Op" Andriola, suddenly discovering seniors exist. Behind the curtain: Chair Alexis Hill, puppet master, and motivated to make sure Mike Clark is not reelected in 2026.