Trash Talk
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).
Meanwhile, our esteemed local officials continue their tradition of negotiating garbage contracts with all the backbone of a wet paper bag. Waste Management rates rise yet again in May 2025, while the county conveniently "forgets" to publicize senior discounts for those over 70.
Seniors 70+ make sure you apply for a preferred rate.
A former Washoe County employee, wanting to remain off the record, who was part of past contract negotiations commented, “It's a perfect symbiosis: Waste Management operates with mob-like efficiency in extracting maximum profit, while county officials serve as their silent consiglieri, ensuring the public remains uninformed about available relief.”
Perhaps our officials believe seniors have nothing better to do than independently research garbage fee exemptions between grandkids visits? Or maybe keeping quiet about senior discounts is a quiet agreement because, after all, if they don’t know about it they can’t apply for it.