Ain't No Accountability at Washoe County

Graphic from the EEPPN (Emergency Eviction Prevention Program of Nevada) website.

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 to Northern Nevada via the Nevada Museum of Art? A cool $500,000 of taxpayer money, and what do we get? A project that:

• Isn't even fully funded

• Lacks a permanent home

• Seems more like a personal favor than a public service

But wait, there's more! Hill conveniently enjoyed a fundraiser at a Nevada Museum of Art Board Member's home shortly after approving the funds. Coincidence? We think not.

Exhibit B: The Phantom Eviction Prevention Program Enter EEPPN (Emergency Eviction Prevention Program of Nevada), a recipient of Washoe County's generosity - $250,000 of your hard-earned tax dollars, thanks to, again, Commissioner Alexis Hill’s leadership. She wanted voters to know she was helping residents with eviction mediation.

Let's play a game called "Find the Accountability":

• Website? Not super helpful as to who you can contact if the phone numbers voicemail is full.

• Board members? Invisible

• Actual services?

A senior citizen tries to get help and can't even leave a voicemail because it's full. Another receives an explanation detailing zero actual assistance because it is too late into the process. But hey, Commissioner Hill gets to claim she's "helping residents" during her re-election campaign.

A concerned email from Senior ResQ Executive Director Blake Vanderwell regarding EEPPN forwarded to the press by Commissioner Mike Clark.

The Real Questions:

• Who are these "expert advisors"?

• Where's the transparency?

• How are they spending $250,000 with zero public oversight? Hey, Commissioner Hill and County Manager Brown where is the oversight of taxpayer’s $250K?

County Manager Eric Brown and Chair Alexis Hill seem to have found the perfect organization - one so opaque that auditing becomes a joke.

Imagine facing potential eviction and being met with nothing but a full voicemail box. That's the reality Washoe County is funding.

Our Challenge to Washoe County: Prove us wrong. Provide a full accounting of these funds. Show us exactly how EEPPN is helping residents. Until then, we'll keep shining a light on this fiscal shell game.

Taxpayers deserve better. Much better.

P.S. We found EEPPN with an address at Reno Housing Authority

What we found when we tried to find an address for EEPPN (Emergency Eviction Prevention Program of Nevada). Which led us to an email address director@bwynnv.org.

Which led us to an email address to another nonprofit?

BWYNNV.org a local nonprofit.

That led us to take a look at GuideStar and ProPublica for a 990 regarding the nonprofit. What we found is below. ProPublica didn’t have a listing we could find. But some nonprofits are playing fast and lose using initials making it more difficult to track. We don’t know if this is being done purposefully, but it is questionable.

Did EEPPN (Emergency Eviction Prevention Program of Nevada) or BWYNNV.org get the county funds and where is the accounting?

Where is Washoe County’s $250,000 dollars that was approved in 2024.