Bill would let full Reno‑Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority vote on appointees and open chair to any board member

Assembly Bill 114, a one‑section measure to revise appointment and chairmanship rules for county fair and recreation boards in counties with populations between 100,000 and 700,000, was presented Wednesday to the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs in Carson City.

Assemblyman Richard DeLong (Assembly District 26) introduced the bill and said it applies to the governing bodies commonly known locally as county convention and visitor authorities, including the Reno‑Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA). The bill’s amendment would allow all members of the RSCVA — not only the elected officials on the board — to vote on appointed candidates submitted by the various appointing authorities, and would allow any board member to serve as chair if elected by the board rather than limiting the chair to elected public officials.

Eddie Avilser, an appointed RSCVA board member, told the committee the change would align the appointment process more closely with practice elsewhere and spread the responsibility for choosing appointed members across the entire nine‑member board. Charlene Bybee, Sparks city councilwoman and RSCVA board member, said the board is a diverse nine‑member panel that includes elected and non‑elected seats representing municipalities, the chamber, the airport authority and other interests; she said giving all board members a vote would reduce the burden placed on the three elected seats and better reflect the board’s composition.

Tom Clark, representing the Reno‑Sparks Chamber of Commerce, testified in support of the bill and the amendments. The committee did not receive opposition testimony in Carson City, Las Vegas or by phone during the hearing.

Assemblyman DeLong walked the committee through the amended language: the six appointed members would be appointed by the full board rather than solely by the board’s elected officials, the members entitled to vote would be the entire board, and the chair could be any board member. He told the committee the RSCVA’s executive and legislative subcommittee had considered the change and that the full RSCVA voted unanimously to support the proposed amendments.

No formal committee vote occurred during the hearing; the committee closed the AB 114 hearing after support testimony and questions. Sponsors said they would proceed with the amendment already uploaded to the legislative information system.

Speakers who appeared on AB 114 included Assemblyman Richard DeLong (sponsor), Eddie Avilser (RSCVA board member), Charlene Bybee (Sparks City Council and RSCVA board member) and Tom Clark (Reno‑Sparks Chamber of Commerce).