Schieve’s “Big Juice Job” at City of Reno
Back on July 29, 2024, the Reno City Charter Committee met with the Reno City Council with their final report and recommendations. The focus of the meeting was a report from the City Charter Committee and what to do with those pesky 2025 Bill Draft Requests to be put forth by the Reno City Council.
Former Reno Mayor candidate Eddie Lorton made a public comment regarding the need for the Reno City Council to hold special elections when council members resign leaving office early and an opinion piece he had penned. Lorton’s opinion ran in the Reno Gazette Journal.
During the last ten years there have been four appointments to fill vacated council seats and not a single special election under Mayor Hillary Schieve’s reign.
- David Bobzien was appointed to the At-Large council seat and served until he was tapped by Governor Steve Sisolak to run Nevada’s Office of Energy.
- Devon Reese was appointed to fill David Bobzien’s appointed At-Large seat.
- Kathleen Taylor, who had run for mayor against Schieve was appointed to fill Neoma Jardon’s Ward 5 seat after she landed the Executive Director job at the Downtown Reno Partnership.
- About a month later Oscar Delgado resigned to spend more time with his family from the Reno Ward 3 council seat – and Miguel Martinez, who had lived in the Ward 3 for six months, was appointed. Anyone got questions. Would that be considered “juiced in” Mayor Schieve speak.
It was interesting to hear from Mayor Hillary Schieve, who called into the meeting, that she will NOT be stepping down as Reno Mayor prior to the end of her term. This has been rumored for the last twelve months. Schieve asked Vice Mayor Naomi Duerr if she might make a public comment.
Schieve: I appreciate everyone’s opinions. I want to make it clear for the record that, Mr. Lorton, it’s really his conspiracy to scare constituents that I would be stepping down to appoint Mr. Reese. I want to make it clear for the record today that will not be happening. I don’t know where he got that. It is his own conspiracy. So, um, I hope everyone feels a little bit better there. I just wanted to address that.
And also, I would say this when council members leave, or appointed positions elected positions it also makes it very difficult for the council. That was someone elected by the voters. So that is under their circumstance we can’t control that. So, this narrative, you know, thats it is a “big juice job” also makes it difficult. I have no problem going out to an election whatsoever, but this is more or less a conspiracy from Mr. Lorton. So, thank you very much.
We wanted to make sure we understood Mayor Schieve’s use of “big juice job” and went to Green’s Dictionary of Slang, giving us; juice as a (noun), in a financial and associated contexts, often illegal or corrupt, (a) the profits of a profession or office.
If Mayor Schieve has been in favor of having special elections as she indicated in her July 29, 2024 public comment – then why have there been four Reno City Councilmember appointments and not a single special election. Someone in the City of Reno has been enjoying some juice.