Washoe County’s new manager Kate Thomas emphasizes internal improvements and fiscal caution

Kate Thomas, introduced by the chair as Washoe County’s new county manager, spoke to the Spanish Springs Citizens Advisory Board about her long career in local government and her immediate priorities for the county. "My role is to execute on that," Thomas said, describing the manager’s job as aligning staff and resources behind policy set by elected officials.

Thomas reviewed her experience in city and state government and said she was focused on internal organizational improvements: employee retention, competitive compensation and building a culture that helps the county deliver services. She described the county as a large organization of roughly 3,000 employees and said it operates on a roughly $1 billion budget — figures she used to explain why personnel costs and careful workforce planning are central concerns.

Thomas also cautioned that without changes the county could face a structural deficit within five years because roughly half of general-fund revenues come from property taxes, which are more stable than sales tax but may not keep pace with cost pressures. She said hiring will be limited and requests for new staff will be evaluated against budget constraints.

In response to questions about managing community expectations, Thomas said transparency and strong communications with department leaders are central to her approach. "Getting people to talk organizationally and break down some of those internal silos seems to be the ticket," she said, describing changes to department-head meetings and a commitment to share information more widely.

Thomas invited residents to contact her after the meeting and said she would remain afterward to take questions. The board thanked Thomas for attending and said her experience and focus on fiscal stewardship were welcome.