Fiscally Sensitive, Not in Sparks
Mayor Ed Lawson’s State of the City Address 2025 on February 24, 2025.
In what can only be described as fiscal gymnastics, Mayor Ed Lawson delivered a somber State of the City address on February 24, 2025, while riding his motorcycle—because nothing says "we're in a budget crisis" quite like a mayoral motorcycle moment. Perhaps the motorcycle was necessary to keep His Honor awake during his own speech, much as it kept us from slipping into a complete video coma.
"We're going through some hard times now," Lawson gravely intoned after the video ended. "We're going to have to have some layoffs in the future. We're just going to have to buckle up."
Buckle up indeed. Because merely THREE HOURS after telling city employees to prepare for the unemployment line and residents to brace for reduced services, Mayor Lawson demonstrated his version of "fiscal responsibility" by ensuring his lobbyist pals wouldn't miss a single payment.
The dynamic duo of Barrett Resources and SB Strategies—fresh off their failure to get the Truckee Meadows Lands Bill passed in 2024—were rewarded again for their lack of success with a cool $80,000 each. That's $13,333.34 of taxpayer money PER MONTH going to lobbyists while actual city employees face the chopping block. Apparently, in Sparks, failing upward isn't just a philosophy—it's a lucrative business model.
Councilmember Charlene Bybee, likely positioning herself for a mayoral run, pulled the contracts from the consent agenda just long enough to call the lobbyists' work "super valuable." Super valuable! What exactly was valuable about last year's failed bill remains a mystery deeper than why anyone approved the mayor's motorcycle video.
Meanwhile, newly elected Councilmember Joe Rodriguez observed that "the city is pretty committed to this firm." Someone needs to clue Rodriguez in: These are Lawson's campaign buddies, and friendship apparently costs exactly $6,666.67 per month per lobbyist.
Ward 3 Sparks Councilmember Paul Anderson attempting to gain a better deal for SB Strategies and Barrett Resources than monthly payments.
The true comedic highlight came when Councilmember Paul Anderson—after confusing Councilmember Bybee with Councilmember Vanderwell (an easy mistake when you're scrambling to secure money for your boss's friends)—expressed concern that paying the lobbyists monthly would be a "dangerous direction." This from a man who receives his own city paycheck... monthly.
Mayor Lawson discussing the “hard times” the City of Sparks is facing at his State of the City Address.
Let's review Mayor Lawson's State of the City statements, shall we?
"We're going through some hard times now." (Unless you're a lobbyist!)
"We're going to have to have some layoffs in the future." (Except for our $13,333.34-per-month consultants!)
"We're going to do it with as much compassion as we can muster." (Compassion that apparently doesn't extend to the city's budget!)
"We are just going to have to buckle up."
So there you have it, residents of Sparks. While you're tightening your belts and city employees are updating their resumes, rest assured that your tax dollars are hard at work funding lobbyists for a bill that already failed. Because nothing says "fiscal responsibility" quite like paying double for a second attempt at failure.
Buckle up, indeed.