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Residents press county for options to vote in Reno mayoral contests; CAB hears outreach and board-opportunity notices
Summary
CAB members raised concerns that county residents in Reno's sphere of influence lack a vote in city mayoral races; community members said they are meeting with legislators and exploring charter changes while staff publicized board openings and upcoming bylaw adoption hearings.
A member of the Citizen Advisory Board asked how county residents living inside the City of Reno's sphere of influence can have a greater voice when the city exercises authority over development and local referendums.
"I just really strongly feel that it's not fair that…I'm a Washoe County resident but for all intensive purposes in Reno," one CAB member said, noting frustration that some residents cannot vote in Reno mayoral or council contests despite proximity to city functions.
Candy Hook and other residents described outreach to legislators and city officials to explore changes in regional planning statutes and municipal charters. Hook said she is "working with Tony Harsh and Heather Golden regarding the planning issues" and that the issue touches on language in Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) and regional planning rules that influence who can vote in city matters.
Community members described outreach to state representatives and discussions about whether charter amendments or statutory fixes could extend voting rights or otherwise change how votes and referendums are applied to areas in a city's sphere of influence.
Separately, Case and Associates and county staff announced board and commission openings (Deferred Compensation Committee, Board of Equalization) with application deadlines, a May 26 public hearing to consider adoption of a county cat bylaw, and continued efforts to expand public outreach through email lists and social media. Staff also said they will continue quarterly meetings with the City of Reno's NAB to improve interjurisdictional communication.
Next steps: residents pushing for voting‑rights changes plan additional meetings with legislators and local officials; staff will post board openings and follow up on the cat‑bylaw hearing schedule.
