In a display equal to the City of Reno’s political theater, Washoe County has conveniently buried an agenda item until 2025 – just in time for County Manager Eric Brown's annual review. How convenient that pesky resident complaints won't mar today's coronation ceremony.

The timing is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Item 20, which promised to be ripe for public criticism, mysteriously vanished from the agenda following Brown's eleventh-hour email. Commissioner Mike Clark confirmed the postponement, citing the ever-reliable "staff suggestions" – a transparent excuse that fools precisely no one.

As Eric Brown's annual review is tomorrow, Washoe County has conveniently "revised" its evaluation criteria – presumably to mask another year of mismanagement behind a façade of independence. The only thing more remarkable than Brown's list of failures is the chorus of commissioners rushing to applaud them.

We watched Commission Chair Alexis Hill master the art of agenda gymnastics! At Tuesday's - December 10, 2024 - meeting, she pirouetted through items faster than a politician dodging questions, strategically punting decisions until her reliable voting buddy Commissioner Garcia returns from absence. Talk about choreography – with what would be a 2-2 split, Hill and her mini-me Andriola against Clark and Herman, Hill wasn't about to risk the agenda tie votes to have to have repeat performances.

Not only did Eric Crump, Washoe County’s Director Community Services go on the record at the South Truckee Meadows/Washoe Valley Citizen Advisory Board meeting last Thursday, December 5, 2024 that there is no stadium being planned in South Reno, but Washoe County Manager Eric Brown chimed in at the Washoe County Board of County Commissioner meeting yesterday, December 10th stating “no stadium.”

Are the widely publicized "budget cuts" at the Washoe County Library System as severe as portrayed? Executive Director Jeff Scott's warnings about losing 22 staff members, cutting hours, and other dire consequences deserve closer scrutiny. Are his comments factual? We don’t know.

Despite knowing the $4.5 million in funding was at risk, there's been no transparent sharing of budget analyses or alternative scenarios from Executive Director Scott. While Scott controls the system's messaging and media narrative, taxpayers and library patrons remain in the dark about actual financial planning.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, during the Washoe County Board of County Commission meeting we were struck by the number of public commentators regarding the loss of the Washoe County Library WC-1 Ballot Measure.

It is interesting to note the group behind the library petition is not even taking a break to draw breath to learn what cuts in staffing or services will be necessary if the library loses the $4.5 million funding afforded them prior to the ballot measure failure. The library just needs the money, but this is based on what Library Director Jeff Scott is saying.

"Oh, the drama at yesterday's County Commission meeting. Commissioner Hill, who likened Mike Clark's election to letting an 'arsonist in the building,' seems to have forgotten a crucial detail: those pesky voters put him there, just like her.

When Clark excused himself after consulting with Assistant District Attorney Nathan Edwards regarding the vote canvass (and stopped for a friendly chat with constituents on his way out), Hill couldn't resist adding her own theatrical spin to the minutes. She insisted on recording that Clark had 'inappropriately tried to recuse himself and then stormed off' - a curious characterization for someone who left after proper consultation and cordial goodbyes.

Thanks to our community's enthusiastic response, Picon's inbox has been overflowing with inquiries about local nonprofits since spring. While election season kept us running at full speed, the closing of the polls finally gives us the breathing room to dive into all the valuable information you've shared. We're now ready to give your submissions the attention they deserve.

Some elected officials have dubbed us 'lazy journalists' as we’ve been covering their activities since we’ve been willing to include other media’s coverage. Well, let's embrace that reputation - we're actively seeking nonprofit whistleblowers to help us be even more 'lazy' by sharing your inside knowledge. Based on the flood of tips we've already received; we know you're out there. Consider this your invitation to help us dig deeper into stories that need telling. After all, the best investigative journalism is a team sport."

For Commissioner Alexis Hill it is all about getting reelected and she really doesn’t care what she has to say, or do. Hill will spin the facts, she’ll cut people out, because her only mission is to get reelected.

Last year, Hill and Washoe County spun the fact that they had cut homelessness by 50%. Oops that was wrong, but that admission came out from Washoe County only after Commissioner Hill had been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and gotten a whole lot of national attention. Later the county propaganda team spun the mistake as being due to bad data from the Point in Time count. The same Point in Time count County Manager Eric Brown now directs only need to be done every two years. Wait, bad data means only doing the count every two years? Come on Chair Hill do something.

Our Town Reno asked a question last week and that was can Frank Perez win the City of Reno Ward 1 City Council race. Picon thinks there is a more important question to be asked, and that is “does Frank Perez really want to win” or was he the “buffer” candidate that stopped Lily Baran from getting elected.

Baran would owe her allegiance to no one, and we think some powers that be on the Reno City Council didn’t want that. Just look at Perez’s social media he is besties with many movers and shakers, mostly Commissioner Mariluz Garcia, Councilmember Miguel Martinez and School Board Trustee Alex Woodley.

Picon is having a hard time understanding what the heck Councilmember Donald Abbott is talking about.

Abbott was called out by a Sparks senior because the City of Sparks didn’t participate at the Senior Spectrum Senior Fest on September 3, 2024.

Picon reached out to the City of Sparks and Senior Spectrum and learned that more often than not the City of Sparks has had a table at the event.

On Tuesday, October 15, 2024, CV24-02182 Citizen Outreach Foundation ET AL vs Carre-Ann Burgess, in her official capacity as the acting Registrar of Voters for Washoe County has a 9AM court date in the Second Judicial District Court, Department 3, with the Honorable Judge Tammy Riggs.

Reno News & Review has unleashed a political cartoon that's more "Golden Girls Gone Wild" than "respectful discourse." The paper, known sometimes for its biting satire, seems to have forgotten that even politicians come with an expiration date.

In a whirlwind of bureaucratic bungles and technological terrors, the residents of Washoe County find themselves embroiled in a tale of data woe. What started as a simple request for a voter list has snowballed into a comedy of errors, with twists and turns that would make even the most seasoned political pundit scratch their head in confusion.

Another Registrar of Voters mysteriously disappears, well on a medical leave, but once gone, they seem to never show back up. What is happening at Washoe County with the ROV could be an Agatha Christie whodunnit.

Everyone by now is bored with the fact Picon is overly interested in the Murdoch case in Washoe County. But, hey, SORRY we think it is inappropriate for a bunch of rich fat cats to not only use Nevada’s lack of income and inheritance taxes, as well as its confidentiality protections making it a top venue for family trust management, to keep their hearing so very, very private at taxpayer expense.

Looks like we ruffled some feathers at Washoe County HQ. All we did was ask about these mystical "safety net services" they're fond of mentioning. Googled it. Nada. So, we did what any curious cat would do - filed a public records request.