Then (August 31, 2022 – Travis Ebarb’s Warning)
Three years ago, community advocate Travis Ebarb issued a blunt warning about Reno’s political culture. His central theme: City Hall was run by insiders for insiders, while citizens were told “nothing to see here.”
Ward 5 appointment: When Neoma Jardon resigned her council seat to take a job with the Downtown Reno Partnership, citizens demanded a special election. The council refused, opting instead for an appointment. Ebarb called it the “gift of incumbency,” a maneuver that gave chosen insiders an electoral advantage.
Campaign finance as currency: Every finalist for the Ward 5 seat had donated to Mayor Hillary Schieve, and she had donated to some of them. Kathleen Taylor’s $1,000 contribution was cited as a prime example of buying your way in.
Donor contradictions: Schieve downplayed her ties to lender Max Haynes in an article in Out Town Reno, yet campaign finance records showed his company gave her $5,000 in 2022.
Public assets for private friends: Ebarb pointed to Junkee’s haunted house, located inside the city-owned National Bowling Stadium, as a secret sweetheart deal for a friend of the Mayor.
Ebarb’s conclusion: Reno politics had become a dynasty of “yes people,” and the only solution was for voters to break the cycle.
Now (September 2025 – The Reese/Williams Setup)
Fast forward three years, and the same cycle is preparing to repeat itself—this time with Councilmember Devon Reese.
If Reese runs for Mayor in 2026 and wins, his Ward 5 seat will be vacated in January 2027. Under Reno’s charter, that vacancy would be filled by appointment, not a special election. Once again, citizens would be denied the chance to choose their representative.
Enter Jacob Williams. Already president of the Somersett HOA, Williams was recently appointed to the Reno Planning Commission—despite lacking planning credentials or experience. This commission role appears to be a stepping stone.
Insiders are saying that he’s the frontrunner to be appointed to Reese’s seat. He and Reese are neighbors, and apparently, Reese got Williams on the board.
The same playbook:
An appointment over an election that denies voters a choice.
A politically connected insider elevated by council vote.
An incumbent status that makes it nearly impossible for challengers in 2028.
It’s precisely what Ebarb warned about in 2022, only now the names have changed.
Apparently, Jacob Williams is not popular in Somersett. See this article for details.
📌 A Pattern of Appointments (2019–2025)
Recent Reno City Council Appointments
2019 – Ward 3: Oscar Delgado’s vacancy filled by appointment of Miguel Martinez.
2019 – At-Large: David Bobzien’s resignation led to the appointment of Devon Reese.
2022 – Ward 5: Neoma Jardon left for the Downtown Reno Partnership, and the appointed replacement was Kathleen Taylor.
2025 – Planning Commission: Jacob Williams added despite a lack of credentials (seen as grooming for future council role).
Note: the Wards changed after redistricting in 2024. Taylor is now in Ward 1, Reese is in Ward 5, and Martinez is in Ward 3.
Citizens have repeatedly demanded special elections, but the council has consistently chosen insider appointments instead.
The Larger Pattern
Appointments over elections: In 2022, it was Jardon’s replacement. In 2027, it may be Reese’s.
Money networks: In 2022, it was Schieve and her donors. In 2025–26, it’s Reese, Williams, and the same donor class of developers, casinos, and unions.
Public assets as favors: From Junkee in 2022 to today’s sweetheart deals for well-connected businesses, the story repeats. Uncle Junkee got city money to fix up a Keshmiri property on Virginia Street, then moved to the Reno Public Market.
Private gain in public office: Schieve’s sunscreen company Spooge LLC, raised eyebrows this year for potential conflicts, echoing Ebarb’s earlier critiques of blurred lines between mayoral office and private friends.
Why It Matters
Travis Ebarb’s words from 2022 now feel less like a warning and more like a prophecy. The “gift of incumbency” is alive and well. Citizens remain sidelined while insiders trade favors and make donations.
Why does Reese want to be Mayor? As the At-Large City Commission member, Reese could get involved in deals throughout the city. With the redistricting, Reese is limited to being involved in deals in Ward 5. The Mayor acts like an At-Large member.
If Reese does run for Mayor, the council will face a choice:
Allow another insider appointment that locks Ward 5 into years of insider control.
Or give citizens the voice they demanded in 2022 and still demand today—a special election.
👉 Citizen Debate Prompt:
Should Reno taxpayers accept another council appointment in 2027 if Reese’s Ward 5 seat opens up, or should they demand the right to elect their own representative—even if it costs more?
I think we need to always have a special election. The whole Reno board is corrupt
So how much does running a a single race election cost? Would that be an appropriate use of our precious city tax dollars?