Sorry, Ward 5 Voters

The Mayor & Council Are Going to Decide Who Represents You

Happy Getting to Be Late Summer!  I have not published in some time.  Currently, I find it important to let people know my position on a current issue, the opening of the Ward 5 City Council seat vacated by Neoma Jardon.  Here is some background on that.

Ms. Jardon’s term was less than halfway over when she departed.  When a vacancy occurs, the Reno City Charter outlines two options for the Mayor and City Council.  These are to fill the seat within 30 days by appointment or to hold a special election.  Since I came to the Council in 2012, this has happened twice before, and each time the Council decided to fill the seat by appointment. 

After the first appointment, I came to believe that a special election is the better approach and argued for a special election this time also.  My primary reason for this is that it is more democratic for voters to decide who represents them, not politicians sitting on the body the appointee will join.  Unfortunately, Mayor Schieve and my Council colleagues think otherwise and will decide who will represent Ward 5 for the next two years.  And with the great advantage bestowed by incumbency, likely for much longer. 

Some have pointed to timing and practical considerations for choosing to go the appointment route.  I don’t buy these arguments and think that in making the appointment, the individual power of the Mayor and Council Members is personally enhanced.  For those on the ballot in November (i.e. the Mayor, Council Members Duerr, and Weber), this is good timing to have some extra influence.   

Some of the arguments against a special election have been along the lines of how costly and cumbersome it is to hold an election.  I don’t buy this either.  The legislature has made voting much easier with, for example, mail-in ballot elections. 

Others are concerned that the special election could not be held until after November’s regular election and as late as February 2023.  I don’t see a problem with this.  As voters’ attention turns to November’s election, it’s a great time for aspiring Ward 5 Council candidates to be out on the campaign trail as well.  As for the argument that Ward 5 residents need their Council representative on the job ASAP, let’s not forget we have a Mayor and an At-Large member who also represent them.  Surely, they could pinch hit for a few months.

So, besides being more democratic, what are some other benefits of filling the seat by special election?  In my view, those who initially enter office by appointment miss out on important lessons.  Running for office is a humbling experience and a good counterbalance to the empowerment of holding office.  Appointees also miss out on hearing from voters about the issues on their minds.  Missing this step is not helpful to one’s personal development as a public servant. 

Finally, despite being advertised as an open application, the appointment process does not provide the opportunity for all applicants to shine.  Some of this is due to the 30-day deadline for making the appointment.  The prior two appointments gave the Mayor and Council little more leeway to make their appointment than is the case with Ms. Jardon’s sudden departure.  This tight timeline, in and of itself, makes this appointment process even more flawed.  The Council should have called for a special election!

Because the new Council Member will join the body of those making the appointment, it's natural for the Mayor and Council to appoint someone with whom they are familiar.  In both prior appointments, the appointed Council Member was personally known by most, if not all, Council Members.  This circumstance will likely be repeated a third time. 

Prior experience shows that the applicant who gets the appointment will have notable community support.  But that community support may not be from Ward 5 voters.  For example, when the Mayor and Council were deciding whether to hold a special election or appoint, representatives of the local contractors and homebuilders’ groups spoke in favor of the appointee process.  As these organizations and their members typically provide substantial monetary campaign contributions to Council candidates, one can be sure that the successful appointee will also get the nod from these influential groups.

While applicants will try to get supporters to reach out to the Council on their behalf, the successful applicant will almost certainly be backed by institutional campaign contributors, as the groups mentioned previously.  If only Ward 5 residents had such coordinated influence!  Or even some role in the process.  For example, the Mayor and Council could have assigned the Ward 5 Neighborhood Advisory Board to narrow the field and recommend their top five candidates to the Mayor and Council for appointment. 

For these reasons, I object to the appointment process and will not participate. 

I believe a gross disservice is being done to Ward 5 residents who are being deprived of the vote.  As the appointment process unfolds, a flurry of lobbying will focus on the Mayor and Council Members.  With all of this, it will be clear that Ward 5 residents are second violin.  I also believe most of the applicants who, in good faith, are seeking the appointment are being used as foils in an unfair, politically juiced process that does not let their individual attributes and qualifications be recognized. 

In fact, I think I can read the tea leaves.  For kicks, I will write a name on a sheet of paper and put it in my desk drawer. 

If I am correct, that is going to be super validating to me that the appointment process is flawed.  Only an appointive process would be so predictive.  An open election certainly would not be even if the number of candidates on the ballot were reduced from the 36 on the appointment list.  But then again, why leave things up to the voters in Ward 5?  Who does that serve?

Jenny Brekhus is the Ward 1 Reno, NV, City Council Member. When opinions and views expressed appear without other attribution, they are those of Jenny Brekhus and do not reflect official views or positions of the City of Reno or the Reno City Council unless otherwise noted. This publication and any response it generates communicated through any channel may be subject to disclosure under Nevada Public Records Act if it substantively refers to City of Reno business.