AAUGH!!! -WC1 Failed

A petition has been started to urge Washoe County Commissioners to override the WC1 ballot measure. 

You’re kidding, right? Voters didn’t understand the ballot measure, oh come on. Now you’re insulting voters intelligence.

Voters understood exactly what they were voting for, and vote they did to defeat WC1.

The library smackdown continues as Director Jeff Scott's doomsday predictions - shuttered buildings, mass staff exodus, and a limited-day workweek - fall flat after WC1's surprise defeat. His confident choir of supporters, who practically had the victory party planned, are now oddly quiet. One burning question remains: In all that time spent working on passing WC1, was there no worst-case scenarios, did anyone bother drafting a Plan B?

Let's talk about numbers - real numbers. While Director Scott insists the library system will collapse without a $4.5 million annual cash infusion (on top of their existing $12 million budget), we're wondering: Where's the audit? Where's the financial deep-dive? Where's the proof?

If this extra funding was truly make-or-break for basic operations, why wasn't that red flag waving before WC1? And where were County Manager Eric Brown and our Commissioners while the library system apparently expanded beyond its sustainable means?

Private businesses scrutinize every dollar, watching their bottom line like hawks. But when it comes to taxpayer money, it seems our library leadership took a more... relaxed approach. Did anyone bother to run the numbers on staffing levels? Expansion plans? Operating costs?

So, let's get this straight - after Washoe County voters clearly rejected the library funding measure, there's now a petition asking our County Commissioners to essentially say 'thanks for voting, but we know better'?

While technically the Commission could override voters' wishes, let's ponder the implications. What's the point of putting issues on the ballot if elected officials might just reverse the results they don't like? That's not just dismissing voter choice - it's thumbing your nose at the democratic process.

Sure, library advocates are frustrated by the outcome. But asking commissioners to overrule the very voters who put them in office? That's a dangerous precedent that goes well beyond library hours and budgets. It's about respecting the fundamental principle that when voters speak at the ballot box, their decision matters.

Perhaps instead of seeking end-runs around voter decisions, it's time for some creative problem-solving within the budget voters were willing to support.

Library Director Jeff Scott’s letter on November 6, 2024 the day after the election.