The Library Should Be Nonpartisan.

Washoe County Downtown Branch where you can bump into Picon Press Media. 

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.

In the theater of public budgeting, Library Director Jeff Scott performed a masterful misdirection. While county commissioners sat attentively, Scott transformed budget discussion of WC-1 into a narrative about book purchasing, conveniently sidestepping the elephant in the room: $4.5 million in annual funding that underwrote weekend and nighttime library hours.

Was this strategic transparency or calculated obfuscation? Scott's emphasizing book acquisitions while burying the real fiscal story - suggests an attempt to camouflage the true financial landscape. By not explicitly detailing how these additional millions were keeping doors open beyond traditional hours, funding twenty-four extra staff positions, technology services, Scott created a fiscal fog that now leaves taxpayers and commissioners squinting to understand the true budget picture.

Smart fiscal move? Hardly. More like a high-stakes shell game where accountability is the missing piece.

The real question these petitioners are omitting: How did Library Director Jeff Scott balloon the annual budget by $4.5 million while conveniently overlooking a looming funding cliff on June 30, 2025?

Budget management 101: Don't spend money, you can't guarantee. Scott's expansive approach - adding hours and staff without a sustainable financial runway - isn't strategic leadership. It's fiscal recklessness. When taxpayer dollars are used to build an unsustainable infrastructure, the accountability lands squarely on the director's desk.

Scott's job wasn't just to spend, but to steward resources responsibly. Instead, he appears to have constructed a financial house of cards, betting on continued funding without a contingency plan. Now, when that house threatens to collapse, he's looking for someone else to blame.

We’re hearing from 6,000 residents who have signed a petition to keep the library funding the same and are basically asking the Washoe County Commissioners to disregard the vote. Come on petition signers, the measure lost. These folks want to keep the same funding, until they can write a better ballot question in support of the measure in 2026.

We find it interesting the petition signers are saying they have “overwhelming support to continue the library funding,” they don’t, the ballot measure lost.

Washoe County Governtment General Election Final Results November 2024 General Election. 

The WC-1 Ballot Measure Explanation and Argument was written by two Washoe County Government appointed committees. Washoe County’s George Guthrie, Media Production Specialist, announced the residents Sharon Honig-Bear, Gail Townsend, and Megan Downs would be penning the “Argument in Favor” and Bruce Parks, Penny Brock, and Ron Aryel “Argument Against.”

After the ballot measure lost, it was reported the measure was poorly written and hard to understand. The three-person committee who wrote the Argument in Favor – Picon considers them to be very skilled for the task they were given. Sharon Honig-Bear has professionally written in the Reno area for years and is a retired Washoe County library employee. Megan Downs seems to be equally skilled with communications working at the University of Nevada, so why would anyone be upset or question the ballot measure wording.

We learned this week these 6,000 folks now think it was due to a slate card/voter guide the Republican Party published that was misleading.

It was totally misleading, but where were the YesOnWC1.org folks calling out the Republicn Party and Chair Bruce Parks demanding the wording be changed. Or how about a clarification from Parks be made. Where was the press?

From the Washoe County Republican Party Slate Card, as published by Our Town Reno. 

Picon urges residents to perhaps investigate another reason the ballot measure failed, and that was a lot of difficult press from 2019 forward. Was Drag Queen in the Library the hill for Jeff Scott to die on.

Library Director Jeff Scott has been combative with many residents since 2019 when the first Drag Queen in the Library event took place at the Sparks Library. Scott’s “in your face” stance with a number of residents has caused a toxic relationship with some residents being “banned” from the library. The Library Trustee Meetings have often become a battleground. Could this have had something to do with the defeat of WC-1. Well, of course it did. Is it right, no, but did it happen, you betcha.

Scott gave Washoe County Republican Party Chairman Bruce Parks the keys to his kingdom and Parks was happy to run with a battle cry to defeat WC-1.

Who will be hurt? Washoe County residents who use the library.

The Democrats are not without blame. They were accepting contributions to pass the measure linking to ActBlue which immediately made this a partisan push.

At a kick-off campaign at the downtown library branch where Angie Taylor and Jeff Scott were both interviewed, they were confident that this ballot measure would pass.

How in the heck was a bookworm logo going to warm voters’ hearts to pass this measure, and using the fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, progressive organizations, and nonprofits ActBlue. Just look at the “endorsers” - how about some Republians to support WC-1 not just Pat Hickey standing alone.

From YesOnWC1.org 

No one wants to see the library fail, no one wants to have hours cut, or layoffs, but fiscal responsibility is necessary per the 2024 vote.

Oh, and how about everyone try to “spread a little kindness” - the library need to be nonpartisan.