Sparks is on a Spending Spree*
The City of Sparks has been making headlines recently due to former City Manager Neil Krutz and the former Sparks Fire Chief Mark Lawson.
Former City Manager Neil Krutz attended the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program in June 2022, at a cost of nearly $20,000. Interestingly, Krutz was later "let go" by the Sparks City Council in September 2023. This raises the question of whether the hefty expense of this course was justified, considering his subsequent departure from the position. Is this simply courses taken that allow for resume building as Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese has done, as soon as the course was over it was on his LinkedIn page.
City Manager Doug Thornley of the neighboring City of Reno approved over $20,000 of taxpayer funds for City Councilmember Devon Reese to attend the same program at Harvard in July 2023. This prompted a reader to inquire whether Reese's attendance mirrored that of Krutz, in terms of both content and cost. It was discovered that while the primary expense was comparable, Reese appeared to have spent more on associated costs such as plane fare, hotel accommodations, and food.
The fact that Krutz authorized his own attendance and utilized his city P-Card for payment causes one to pause. Krutz had the authority to spend up to $25,000 without the need for external approval. This begs the question of who, if anyone, scrutinized this decision and whether it was in the best interest of the taxpayers.
It is concerning that these executive education programs primarily serve as resume builders for individuals rather than directly benefiting the city or its citizens. The motivations behind Krutz's self-approval and Reese's attendance, without public knowledge of initial approval, are dubious. Former City of Sparks employees have indicated that Krutz likely did not seek authorization from the mayor or the city council.
The absence of Mayor Ed Lawson and the City of Sparks Councilmembers in questioning Kurtz's expenditure is noteworthy. It raises concerns about potential questionable expenses that the mayor may be allowing within the city. This lack of oversight should be addressed to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and for the benefit of the community.
It is worth pondering whether Krutz's attendance at the Harvard executive training influenced his approach to video production. This reference arises from a previous incident involving the firing of former Sparks Fire Chief Mark Lawson. Krutz released a video on YouTube, talking about why the former employee left Sparks employment, and then promptly removed the video. The correlation between this incident and Krutz's attendance at the costly training program raises questions about the value derived from such education.
The greatest concern lies in whether the citizens of Sparks and Reno truly received any tangible value from these expensive executive education programs. The informal tone and lack of transparency surrounding these expenditures only serve to fuel skepticism. It is crucial to assess the effectiveness and relevance of such programs in order to ensure that taxpayer money is being used wisely.
*The title of our article is based on what pending lawsuits against the City of Sparks will cost the taxpayers to settle.