Another Lawsuit in Sparks: Kurtz vs the City of Sparks City Council
Did Mayor Ed Lawson keep his friend as the Sparks City Manager too long? Now Kurtz is suing Lawson along with the Sparks City Council. This mess in Sparks started with Krutz YouTube video explaining the firing of Sparks Fire Chief Mark Lawson.
Former Sparks City Manager Neil Krutz is finally doing what anyone with a grudge and a lawyer on speed-dial would do – suing his former colleagues. The target list reads Team Krutz: Mayor Ed Lawson, Councilmember Paul Anderson, and former Councilmember Kristopher Dahir. Let's not forget the trio of troublemakers (in Krutz's eyes, anyway) – Councilmembers Bybee, Vanderwell, and Abbott – who had the audacity to suggest maybe, just maybe, his management style needed a review.
Remember Krutz's greatest hit? That memorable YouTube performance where he informed the Sparks Fire Union that he had fired Fire Chief Mark Lawson, a decision that burned through taxpayer dollars faster than a wildfire through dry brush. The irony of Krutz now crying wrongful termination is richer than a casino owner's bank account.
CV25-00464 filed in Washoe County’s 2nd Judicial Distrcit Court on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Speaking of revolving doors, Chief Walt White – Lawson's replacement – is reportedly heading for the exit. But here's the kicker: White never actually moved to Nevada, preferring to camp out near Truckee while his family stayed in California. Apparently, actually living in the community you serve is just a quaint suggestion these days.
This brings us to our favorite long-distance relationship: Washoe County's IT Director Behzad Zamanian, who's been "working" for the county since January 2021 while keeping his feet firmly planted in Southern California, while allowing the county to be Zoom Bombed. Because nothing says "committed to local government" quite like a 400-mile commute.
Meanwhile, the courts are juggling Krutz's case alongside "trackergate" – that delightful drama starring Mayor Hillary Schieve, former Commissioner Vaughn Hartung, and Private Investigator David McNeely. Department 15 - Judge David A. Hardy and the Nevada Supreme Court are playing judicial hot potato with that one, and we've lost count of how many times it's changed hands.
The real punchline in all this? The taxpayers of Sparks are footing the bill for this circus. Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on administrative musical chairs, long-distance leadership, and legal fees that could have fixed every pothole in the city twice over.
But hey, at least we're getting our money's worth in entertainment value, right?
With the press Krutz received throughout the region he needs to make sure this isn’t a jury trial. This is just a smattering of articles:
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/05/sparks-city-manager-neil-krutz-fired-for-cause/70770512007/
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/sparkss-city-manager-isnt-managing
https://www.piconpress.com/documents/vague-difficulties-in-sparks
https://www.piconpress.com/documents/the-city-of-sparks-quiet-poison
https://thisisreno.com/2023/05/sparks-manager-krutz-holds-onto-job/
https://thisisreno.com/2023/06/sparks-council-approves-independent-investigation-of-city-manager/
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/08/sparks-city-manager-neil-krutz-keeps-job-mayor-ed-lawson-vote/70197443007/