Rob Pierce: The Volunteer Who Says He's Ready for Washoe County Commission District 5
I did an interview with Rob Pierce and here is what I learned about him as the primary date approaches and it's time to cast your vote.
Shortly after I wrote my article about which candidates I think will make it through the primary, I heard from Rob Pierce, who asked for a chance to talk and tell his story. Since I didn’t know much about him and wanted to better understand the issues in Washoe County District 5, I agreed to meet. Here is what I learned.
A Hotly Contested Race
The race for District 5 is interesting because the current commissioner, Jeanne Herman, is term-limited. 3 Republicans are running, a Democrat, and a libertarian. If elected, Pierce wants to tackle two primary weaknesses he sees in county governance: public safety shortfalls and a breakdown in developer accountability.
A Reno-area life built over the years
Pierce is a Navy veteran, a retired AT&T employee, a county board volunteer, and a chaplain. He says he has lived in Washoe County since 1988 and in unincorporated Washoe County since 1992, and built his family home with his wife, Linda. His three daughters attended Washoe public schools and graduated from UNR.
“My grandpa actually put the roof on Park Lane Mall,” Pierce told me, adding that his father, a lifelong licensed contractor, has his name stamped on prominent local landmarks like the R.R. Donnelley building.
A volunteer before becoming a candidate
Rob says he has spent years preparing for a job as county commissioner. After retiring, he joined the North Valleys Citizens Advisory Board in 2019. From there, he moved on to the Washoe County Board of Adjustment, the Regional Planning Commission, and other county and airport-related boards.
Pierce can point to years of showing up for the quiet, grinding, poorly understood parts of county government: planning hearings, adjustment requests, zoning issues, staff reports, findings, and public frustration.
Pierce said he is a licensed and ordained chaplain. He described seeing “a lot of hurt in the community” and wanting to give back. He said he prayed about running, discussed it with his wife, and decided that if he did not run, he would always wonder what he might have accomplished.
The voice of people who feel unheard
Rob said that on the boards where he serves, he hears residents ask why their voices are not being heard and why they do not have more say. He wants to help residents understand what the government can and cannot do, and where the law may need to be changed at a higher level.
He described himself as a mediator, someone who can help people figure out where to go, what the law says, and whether an issue belongs with the county, the Legislature, or somewhere else.
Public safety is the lead issue
Rob said he is “strong in public safety” and tied that directly to his work as a law-enforcement chaplain. He said he hears from law enforcement, fire, first responders, and public officials about their needs.
According to Pierce, at times, there may be only three sheriff’s deputies covering the North Valleys, and it may take an hour or more for a deputy to arrive. Residents in District 5 feel they pay taxes into a regional system but receive thin services in return.
Public safety response time is an issue in which a county commissioner plays a role, because the commission controls budgets, staffing priorities, and policy direction for county services.
His land-use philosophy: do the homework, follow the law
Rob explained the process from the inside. A developer or landowner brings a project to the county planning staff. Staff reviews zoning, rules, plans, pros, cons, and legal requirements.
The Planning Commission then receives the packet, often only days before voting. Commissioners must determine whether they can make the required legal “findings.”
Pierce specifically referenced NRS 278 and said that if the findings cannot be made, the project must be denied. But if the project meets the legal standards and is properly zoned, he said, commissioners often have to approve it, even when they may not like it.
Pierce is a process candidate: follow the law, read the packet, ask the questions, make the findings, and do not pretend the board has powers it does not have.
Homelessness: Compassion and Accountability
Pierce’s position on homelessness is also carefully balanced. He says Washoe County has made progress, but needs a more results-driven approach. He wants housing solutions that help people transition to long-term stability rather than merely provide temporary shelter.
He wants better coordination and accountability. He wants clear metrics showing what works and what does not. He also says the county must focus on prevention by addressing mental health, addiction, and housing affordability before people become homeless.
Then he adds the other half of the position: public spaces must be kept clean, reasonable laws must be enforced, and compassion must be paired with accountability.
If you’d like to hear from Rob directly, here is an interview that he did with the Community Cares Podcast. Click the image to watch.
Integrity and clean campaigning
As for why voters should choose him over anyone else, his answer was experience, honesty, and qualifications. He said he is “the most qualified candidate” and “not afraid to tackle the hard projects.”
He also said he is not afraid to talk with “anybody and everybody,” but emphasized again that he has to follow the law.
He said he does not want to run a dirty campaign but rather a clean one, based on his morals and beliefs. Pierce said that he did not want to attack opponents.
Strengths as a candidate
Rob Pierce has relevant experience, having served on the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, North Valleys CAB, county boards, airport boards, search-and-rescue, and as a chaplain, which gives him a credible “I’ve done the work” argument.
He sounds like someone who understands the rules, can make the findings, and explain the decision. For many voters, that will be a plus. It suggests duty, compassion, and proximity to first responders and struggling residents.
To learn more about Rob, visit these links:
Facebook: Rob Pierce for County Commission
Website: Rob Pierce for Washoe County Commission
With only a few days left until the primary, it will be interesting to see how the race plays out. Let me know what you think.
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Making the required finding pursuant to NRS is very important. What I wish every decision making body would do is for each Planning Commissioner, City Council member or Commissioner to actually elaborate how they can or cannot make each finding instead of just saying "I can make the findings".
Some ideas in this article make me wonder if the City of Reno (or Washoe County) require independent Environmental Impact Reports prior to project approval?