Councilmember Taylor's Email Controversy: Transparency at Stake
Councilmember Taylor needs to follow NRS Code, she’s elected, not anointed.
Transparency in local government shouldn't be a game of hide and seek, yet Councilmember Kathleen Taylor appears to be testing those boundaries. Despite winning the Ward 1 election by a razor-thin margin of just 287 votes out of 14,463 cast, Taylor initially attempted to direct city business communications to a campaign email—a move that raises serious questions about public records accountability.
Councilmember Kathleen Taylor wants to have a conversation. It is questionable she wanted to use her campaign email. Now she wants to use her City of Reno email? Who told her she was skirting the law?
When Taylor invited Renoites to correspond about city council business via her campaign email, she seemed to be attempting an end-run around public records disclosure requirements. This strategy mirrors previous ethical controversies, reminiscent of Councilmember Devon Reese's attempts to sidestep transparency mechanisms.
Councilmember Taylor should have removed the graphics if she was trying to cover her mistake. Or how about just being transparent and admitting she made an error in judgement.
The Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) are clear: communications related to city business are public records, subject to disclosure. By attempting to funnel official communications through a campaign email, Taylor risks violating the spirit—if not the letter—of public records laws.
The Nevada Commission on Ethics has demonstrated its willingness to hold elected officials accountable, as evidenced by its eventual action against Reese. Taylor would do well to remember that shortcuts around transparency invariably lead to increased scrutiny. If Reese’s Ethics Hearing had taken place before the general election were fairly certain Taylor would be sharing the dais with Brian Cassidy and not Reese.
We call on Councilmember Taylor to:
Immediately use only her official City of Reno email for council business
Provide full transparency by releasing all communications related to her recent posts
Demonstrate a commitment to the ethical standard residents expect from their elected representatives
Accountability isn't a suggestion—it's a requirement for public service.
The message is clear: 287 votes do not grant immunity from public oversight. Transparency is not a privilege, but a fundamental right of Reno's residents.