Mayor Hillary Schieve loves to lecture Reno residents about privacy. Question her, disagree with her, or — heaven forbid — wonder about her motives, and suddenly you’re guilty of “doxing,” accused of exposing the poor mayor’s delicate personal details.

But pour her a glass of wine at a Belleville Wine Bar, and suddenly the mayor transforms into Reno’s answer to the paparazzi. Forget city budgets and potholes — Hillary’s new hobby is flash photography.

So, Devon Reese accidentally let it slip – by listing the wrong office on an amended Nevada Secretary of State contribution and expense report – that he’s running for mayor. But while the ink is still wet on that paperwork, Reese is already using his platform to peddle feel-good talking points about “compromise,” “collaboration,” and “problem solving” in a Reno Gazette Journal op-ed on data centers.

Only in Reno could a story start with a senior citizen, a city councilmember, and a wine bar, then spin its way into a suntan lotion called Spooge headed for Burning Man.

Yes, that Spooge. The Mayor’s side hustle with Dr. Whitney Hovnick. The same Spooge that somehow found its way onto the lips—literally and figuratively—of Reno’s so-called elite, all gathered around a wine bar table. Among the attendees? The Mayor herself, her Spooge partner, EDAWN’s head honcho Taylor Adams and his wife Phoenix, the publishers of Edible Reno-Tahoe (that free magazine you grab at coffee shops), and of course, the councilman’s husband.

If Reno politics had a royal court, case CV25-01334 would be the scandal of the season. Picture it: a wine bar, an elderly gentleman, and a Reno City Councilmember with 2026 mayoral dreams—except the evening allegedly turned from small talk to small brawl, and now we’re all waiting for the tapes.

The wine bar’s two strategically placed cameras are the crown jewels in this drama. When the footage is uncorked. The video should finally reveal this story.

Richard Jay—board‑hopper, Downtown Reno Partnership booster and social‑media hype man for Mayor Hillary Schieve—recently gushed that Reno is “doing a good job” downtown.¹ For residents staring at boarded‑up buildings, police lights and fresh pink slips, that appraisal lands about as well as a neon arch in a blackout.

July 15, 2025 will go down in history—not for anything civic, legislative, or remotely government-related—but because SPOOGE officially launched its line of ultra-premium, sparkle-infused skincare products, including one we didn’t know we needed: glossy sunscreen for your butt cheeks.

Yes, you read that correctly.

And leading the glittery charge is none other than the Mayor of Reno herself—who, is also one of SPOOGE’s co-founders.

Picon had been told by an employee inside City of Reno Government the announcement there would be employee layoffs would be coming in early July 2025 - sure enough our intel was correct and the press release was issued yesterday regarding eight city employees positions being cut. Our inside intel said they knew all along these cuts were necessary but Mayor Hillary Schieve and Councilmember Devon Reese didn’t want the announcement to come until the council was on their summer break. Basically the City of Reno let the City of Sparks climb out on that limb with layoffs alone, while Reno allowed the scenario to appear they would not have any layoffs. We ponder if Sparks City Manager Dion Louthan will have a few harsh words for Jackie Bryant the next time they have coffee.

Back in November 2022, the public learned something both unsettling and bizarre: a GPS tracker had been found on Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve’s car. Cue the political fireworks. Fingers were pointed fast, and one private investigator we’d worked with was thrown under the bus—by the mayor herself.

But facts are facts. The Sparks Police Department did their job and cleared him of any involvement in anyway - his name should have never come up. They told the mayor straight: the tracker had been planted by another private investigator—David McNeely—a man Picon has never hired, never spoken to, and frankly, wouldn't recognize if he walked by us.

While Reno’s senior citizens were being quietly kicked off the city’s funding bus, Mayor Hillary Schieve was boarding an actual one a few weeks later — or more accurately, a plane bound for sunny Tampa, Florida, for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

You might remember on May 5, 2025, Schieve claimed she wasn’t going to “die on the hill” defending Reno’s $15,000 annual membership in the very same mayoral conference. But guess what? She didn’t die on the hill — she flew right over it. Business class, anyone?

So let’s get this straight: the City of Reno is shelling out $200,000 for a mural on California Avenue—by an out-of-town artist, with no design submitted, and somehow no one on City Council knew about it? Until it came before the council last week. But let’s remember public art brings tourism to Reno, or so we’re told.

Do As I Say, Not As I Pay: Reno Council's Compensation Double Standard …

According to This Is Reno's comprehensive six-part series, the City of Reno spends an average of more than $191,000 per year in pay and benefits for each full-time employee—a figure that includes 100% city-funded PERS retirement and health insurance. Yet Councilman Devon Reese somehow managed to keep a straight face while declaring city employees "underpaid."

While a NextDoor poster regularly highlights Mayor Hillary Schieve's absences from City Council meetings, a Picon reader points out another elected official flying under the radar: Councilmember Meghan Ebert of Ward 4.

According to our reader, Ebert's meeting participation leaves much to be desired—arriving late to meetings, logging in late to virtual sessions, and apparently skipping the prerequisite homework. Her questions during proceedings reportedly serve more to delay than illuminate, suggesting minimal preparation for the agenda items at hand.

In the bright Reno sunshine, Mayor Hillary Schieve seems to have forgotten an essential civic protection: transparency.

As the City of Reno partners with the Nevada Cancer Coalition along with the Reno Aces baseball team to sponsor cancer screenings at Greater Nevada Field, a curious connection has emerged from the shadows. Mayor Schieve, the city's highest elected official, has been quietly developing her own skincare line called "Spooge"—a sunscreen product ostensibly designed to help prevent skin cancer.

City of Reno Honors Law Enforcement—But Ignores the Citizen Who Pays for It

Each year, the iconic Reno Arch is illuminated in blue in honor of fallen law enforcement officers—a solemn and meaningful tribute from the community. The gesture, often praised by the Reno Police Department and city officials, offers a powerful visual symbol of respect.

In most cities, it’s considered a public service when a resident takes time out of their day to speak during public comment at a city council meeting. In Reno, Nevada, it’s starting to feel more like a public risk — especially if you say something that rubs Mayor Hillary Schieve the wrong way. Because these days, challenging Schieve’s decisions doesn’t just get you a polite nod — it might get you publicly accused, publicly shamed, and publicly dragged for… well, daring to participate in democracy.

Looks like we’ve got a bit of a sunscreen scandal unfolding in Reno, Nevada. Mayor Hillary Schieve, who has been busy protecting citizens from the dangers of sunburns, might want to turn her SPF 50 on herself, because her latest moves are starting to leave a bit of a stinging rash on her reputation.

Let’s break it down. In the latest episode of "Reno’s Most Transparent Leaders," Mayor Schieve and her business partner, dermatologist Dr. Whitney Hovenic, are basking in the sun with their sunscreen brand, Spooge—yes, you read that right. Spooge. Not exactly the first name we’d go with for a sunscreen product, but hey, not our product to judge.

It seems Richard Jay—best friend to Mayor Hillary Schieve, collector of prestigious appointments (Airport Authority, RSCVA), and self-appointed Facebook municipal code enforcer—might need to check his own address.

Mayor Hillary Schieve has heroically drawn her mightiest weapon—the strongly worded letter—after Renown already closed the Crisis Care Center doors. With the timing precision of someone showing up with a fire extinguisher after the house has burned down, the mayor is now "questioning" Renown's decision to shutter vital mental health services.

As local governments scramble to patch their leaking financial ships—with Washoe County, Sparks, and Reno all millions in the red—they've settled on the usual solution: deeper dives into taxpayer pockets. Increased fees, passed on charges, some say, sales tax hikes are circling the drain, and "fire consolidation assessments" have become the preferred alternative to actual fiscal responsibility - (translation: moving money around so Reno - Sparks - Washoe County can spend fire budgets to run the city/county, because if State Senator Skip Daly, Mayor Ed Lawson, Commissioner Alexis Hill, and Mayor Hillary Schieve have their way, residents will pay an assessment to fund fire services - slick, right).

Is the City of Reno's checkbook only open to those with the right connections? The ReStore Reno Program's spending pattern suggests an uncomfortable truth.

First, there's the curious case of Crak N' Grill on Wells Avenue. Despite never opening its doors, the restaurant received taxpayer funds through ReStore Reno for roof repairs, new doors, windows, and paint—essentially giving the property owner a free building upgrade courtesy of Reno residents.