The Importance of Dating a Letter
Picon has been watching Commissioner Jeanne Herman for the last two years. She is quiet and unassuming, seems to go with the flow. Our Publisher, Larry Chesney, has known Jeanne for over twenty years. During the past nine years of reviewing videos of Washoe County Commissioner Meetings, it has become evident that Commissioner Jeanne Hearman has faced disrespect, disregard, and belittlement from her colleagues, particularly former Commissioners Vaughn Hartung and Bob Lucey. Their behaviors have been captured on video, showcasing their deliberate rudeness towards Commissioner Herman.
Commissioner Herman has been facing challenges with the current commission, despite the addition of Garcia and the appointment of Andriola. Picon finds it interesting that the commission, now consisting of four women and one man, continues to treat Commissioner Herman poorly, despite her tenure and experience. At the January 16, 2024, meeting, Hill, Garcia, and Andriola raised concerns about her competence, readiness, and ability to perform the duties of her role effectively and stopped her from gaining additional duties as the commission chair. This has led to questions about the dynamics and power struggles within the commission.
On January 16th, the decision for the Washoe County Commission Chair became the center of attention as the dynamics of the commissioners took a dramatic turn. After dozens of residents took the time to attend the commission meeting, and voiced their support for Commissioner Herman, there emerged what some have dubbed the ‘Mean Girls’ Commissioners Hill, Garcia, and Andriola.
During the crucial decision, the ‘trio’ stood firm against Herman, effectively blocking her path to the chairmanship. The allegiances was evident, leaving Herman unsupported and isolated. The trio’s coordinated effort to keep Herman from the chairmanship was conspicuous, overshadowing any attempts at diplomacy with their obviously concerted actions. Many observers felt that their unity against Herman was akin to a physical attack, as they figuratively ‘slapped her around’ and ‘bloodied her up’. The trio’s actions painted a stark picture of the ruthless power struggle to keep Hill and Andriola on the dais. Syrupy comments and the façade of politeness could not mask the blatant exclusion of Herman from the position she sought.
Commissioner Mike Clark has gone on the record after working with Herman for eight years as Washoe County Assessor, “I have a real soft spot for Jeanne, she supports the people of Washoe County and has since being elected in 2014. Jeanne always supported settling the 17-year-old Village League to Save Incline Assets lawsuit. On the dais no other commissioner would listen to her. Had they it would have saved Washoe County millions of dollars.”
The trio was relentless in their efforts to discredit Commissioner Herman, claiming that she is unable to chair the commission due to her supposed lack of interest and attendance. However, closer inspection reveals that these claims may be unfounded. Appointed Commissioner Andriola, a member of the trio, has alleged previous commissions have encouraged Herman to chair the commission over the last nine years. This claim, however, has been refuted by Herman herself, stating that she has “no recollection of ever being asked to take on that role.” This raises doubts about the validity of Andriola’s assertion and caused Picon to question did Hartung or Lucey write it for her.
Additionally, there have been accusations regarding Herman’s attendance at meetings, with Andriola and Garcia asserting that Herman only attends 20% of the meetings. Herman has disputed this claim, citing instances where she was not properly informed about agenda review meetings or had conflicting commitments with constituents. Herman said, “They (Washoe County) are not really helpful, and know the internet at my house isn’t the best, so I phone into a lot of the agenda review meetings. I don’t know if they count that or not.” In light of these accusations, Herman has taken proactive steps to seek clarity. She has requested an accounting of her attendance at agenda review meetings from Assistant District Attorney Nathan Edwards, Herman is still waiting to hear back.
Picon’s readers are thinking come on this is old news that you’re rehashing, give us something new. Okay, here you go.
Commissioner Herman has been diligently working to bring an Election Process Resolution to the Washoe County Commission Agenda. Despite her efforts, she has faced obstacles from Washoe County who has tried to thwart any resolution. Why not allow the resolution on the agenda? The trio know they can vote any resolution down, after all three votes trump two. Could this be why the trio had to syrup attack Herman to keep her from becoming chair. If Herman was chair, she would be more likely to have her resolution placed on an agenda. Commission Chair Alexis Hill all but controls the agenda, so Washoe County couldn’t suddenly have stopped that practice if Herman had become chair.
On December 12, 2023, Herman went on the record that she all but thought County Manager Eric Brown walked on water during his review. Herman said to her fellow commissioners Hill, Garcia, and Anadriola who had been gushing about Manger Brown’s perfection that, “You all have said some great things, and it is a hard act to follow.” To Manger Brown, Herman said, “I’ve spent more time with you than the rest of the commissioners, and every time I call, he always answers, he always follows through. It is amazing and I don’t know how he does it. Whatever he decides, that is okay with me. I’ll vote for a raise if he wants one.”
The whispers and rumors at Washoe County led to a suggestion that there was a sense of promise in the air, with Brown and Hill allegedly indicating that Herman’s resolution would find its way onto a commission agenda during Brown’s annual review process. Adding an extra layer of complexity to the situation is the involvement of the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office. This entity is said to have been reviewing the resolution, signaling a significant step forward in the overall process. This was a signal to Herman of a move in the right direction, guided by the steady hand of Manager Brown.
Oops, after Herman, Hill, Garcia, and Andriola’s glowing reviews, and Brown getting his $32K bonus, the Washoe County District Attorney finished with the resolution, but it suddenly needed to take a trip for review to Nevada’s Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar according to County Manager Brown. Why? When did Aguilar have anything to do with Washoe County policies? Put the resolution on the damn commission agenda and allow Hill, Garcia, and Andriola to vote it down. That way we can all just move on.
This is where the process gets a little murkier. A Picon reader, political activist, and citizen watchdog Penny Brock penned a few requests regarding Herman’s resolution to Washoe County and the Secretary of State in January 2024, because she said, “I smelled a rat. This wasn’t adding up.” Brock at one point called the Nevada Secretary of State asking about the Election Process Resolution forwarded by Manager Brown, due to Brown’s comment on the dais answering Commissioner Clark’s question. Brock was told by Secretary of State staff, “they had no record of Brown forwarding any election resolution.” Brock started sending emails to Commissioner Mike Clark, who forwarded them to Assistant District Attorney Nathan Edwards and Mary Kandaras. Magically Brock got a response on January 31, 2024, that the Secretary of State’s office needed additional time to process her request and she has to hang in until March 1, 2024, to gain access to copies of “what Washoe County Manager Eric Brown sent the Secretary of State’s Office for review with any other written communication from Mr. Brown about the election process resolution.
Commissioner Clark got involved in the process only due to forwarding Brock’s emails to Assistant District Attorney Edwards and Kandaras. Clark had also queried Manager Brown about Herman’s resolution on the dais, where we all learned it had been sent to the Secretary of State for review. Days later Clark got a response from Washoe County alerting him Herman’s resolution would not be on the commission agenda due of a letter from the Secretary of State, which was included in the email string. Clark inquired of Commissioner Herman if she has heard the agenda item was turned down and she had not. Clark couldn’t believe the very commissioner who had requested the agenda item hadn’t been shown the letter, and further said, “I wonder if Jeanne would still give County Manger Brown a 100% no need for improvement review today.” Clark put the letter from the Secretary of State’s office on the record at the Canvass of the Vote Board of County Commission Special Meeting on Friday, February 16, 2024.
Another mystery, why would the Nevada Secretary of State pen an opinion regarding a Washoe County Commissioner’s resolution without a date. Why not put a date on the letter once the error was noted? Was it an oversight or nefarious? Is there some bleeding reason that the county and now the Secretary of State don’t want Herman’s resolution voted on? Come on, the trio are going to vote it down, so just end the pain for all of us residents and put it on the agenda.
While poking around Washoe County Government we learned the answer is simple. A county employee who told us off the record and asked us not to reveal what department they work in because they are afraid of termination. The employee said, “They (Manager Brown, Commissioner Hill, and Commissioner Andriola) cannot let the election resolution to be placed on an agenda during the next ten months or Andriola will lose her election. The Trump loyalists, Beadles’ people will tear Clara apart if she votes no on the resolution. It’s that simple.”
As the mystery surrounding the Nevada Secretary of State’s letter continues to perplex and confound, the quest for clarity and resolution continues. With the letter failing to provide a comprehensive explanation of the reasons behind its contents, people are arriving at their own conclusions. With the absence of concrete information, we can only wait until public record requests are fulfilled by Washoe County, who are again playing their stall game of pushing record request completion out several months. The $24-dollar question is can the Secretary of State play the same records delay game as Washoe County does. Time will tell.
There is now a ‘fly in the ointment’ for Washoe County and that seems to be Commissioner Mike Clark, who said, “I didn’t have a horse in this race, until Washoe County served me up an undated Secretary of State opinion. I had to ask to see the email string because without a date I didn’t know when the letter was written, yesterday or last year. I still don’t know. The Secretary of State’s office does better work than this. They would at the very least correct their error and add a date. At commission meetings I’m going to go on the record to get an Election Process Resolution on the agenda, and when it is turned down then the District Attorney, and the Secretary of State can walk me though the reasons for the rejection line-by-line and the letter better have a date.”
