What Happened to Save Lakeridge?

Oh, all the candidates Save Lakeridge missed when they only mentioned Kathleen Taylor and Devon Reese. The biggest omission by this group Commissioner Mike Clark but we think that’s being done purposefully with a different agenda.

Let’s stop pretending the current version of the Save Lakeridge effort is anything close to grassroots—because it’s not.

Back in 2021, many of us supported them when they took their fight to the Reno City Council. At the time, it felt like a real community-driven effort. Fast forward to today, and it’s hard to ignore what it’s become: a tightly controlled campaign driven by insiders, attorneys, and political maneuvering—not broad community engagement.

And the latest messaging makes that crystal clear.

We’re told to focus on Reno mayoral politics—yes, Devon Reese and Kathleen Taylor are in the mix. No surprise there. But where’s the mention of what’s happening just next door in Sparks?

What about Ed Lawson, who’s in a competitive three-way race for mayor of Sparks and could very well lose? What about Dian VanderWell, who’s facing opposition in her race?

Or Mike Clark, whose position on issues like Sierra Reflections is being actively challenged?

These races matter. These relationships matter. And they are voting members of TMRPA. But you wouldn’t know it from the carefully curated narrative being pushed.

And here’s where it gets even more telling.

While publicly framing certain officials as key players, there are quiet political alignments happening behind the scenes. Financial support is being directed toward opponents—like contributions tied to Jon Killoran—while leaving out how those dynamics could directly impact outcomes. That’s not transparency. That’s a personal agenda by a few folks.

Interesting Contributions

Meanwhile, Commissioner Clark—has existing working relationship with Commissioner Herman that could actually help Save Lakeridge out. He’s shown up at the Duncan Golf Management meeting. He’s engaged. But instead of acknowledging that reality, it’s conveniently ignored.

Why? Because it doesn’t fit the narrative. And the narrative is supporting Jon Killoran by two key players who are part of Save Lakeridge. So do they really want to save it?

At some point, this stops being about saving anything and starts being about controlling the message. And when a group picks and chooses which facts, candidates, and dynamics to highlight, people notice.

Reno and Sparks residents are not as out of touch as some seem to think. They can see when a campaign shifts from community-driven to agenda-driven.

And when that shift happens, support erodes.

Selective messaging, political maneuvering, and a clear disconnect from the broader community—it’s not hard to predict the outcome.