If voters wanted a new Reno City Council to take the city in a new direction, they got one.
From a mayor who could be described as the exact opposite of Mayor Bob Cashell, to two new Council members who draw support from labor unions and Democratic activists as opposed to developers and Republican-leaning groups, the new Council is sure to be much different than what the city has experienced for the past decade.
Here are five takeaways on the shift now in motion from Tuesday’s election:
1. An island of blue in a sea of red.
No question, Tuesday night was a great night for Republicans. They took all six constitutional offices, captured control of both houses of the Legislature and eked a win in Nevada’s Democrat-heavy 4th Congressional District.
But Democrats won the Reno City Council.
While Hillary Schieve is registered as a non-partisan and drew support from both sides of the aisle, she was helped to office by her friend former Councilwoman Jessica Sferrazza’s political network, which is heavily Democratic.
And for the two open city Council seats, Democrats defeated their Republican opponents to capture two seats held by business-friendly Republican incumbents.
This all sounds very partisan and Reno City Council races are technically non-partisan. But the races for Ward 2 and Ward 4 both featured strongly Democrat and strongly Republican candidates who plugged into their party’s political base to wage their campaigns.
But the fact the races were non-partisan was probably Democrats Naomi Duerr’s and Paul McKenzie’s biggest asset in overcoming their GOP opponents. Voters didn’t have a convenient ‘R’ or ‘D’ behind each candidates’ names to help them make a decision. In a Republican wave year that was key for Duerr and McKenzie.
“Voters were forced to look at the candidates and not just write them off on the basis of being Republican or Democrat,” said Riley Sutton, a political consultant who worked for both candidates during the campaign.
2. Labor-friendly Council now takes over contract negotiations
The city has had a difficult time negotiating contracts with its public employee unions—particularly police and fire—in the last two years.
For one, the Council set the priority of ending retirement health benefits for new hires, a measure City Manager Andrew Clinger has said is critical for the city to get a handle on its $210 million unfunded liability for providing the benefit to existing employees.
The Council also hired a hard-nosed labor lawyer who has been criticized as being unwilling to truly negotiate.
The majority of the existing Council supported the hard-nosed approach, with Councilman Dwight Dortch being outright hostile when describing the intentions of police and fire union leadership.
Dortch has been replaced by McKenzie, a long-time labor leader whose campaign was funded almost exclusively by labor unions. Duerr and Schieve also received labor backing and were endorsed and funded by the police and fire unions.
Councilman Oscar Delgado, one of Schieve’s most loyal allies on the Council, said he doesn’t believe the new Council will back away from the priority of ending retirement health benefits for new employees.
“No, we will continue to have those conversations,” Delgado said. “We are still in a tough time and (the unions) realize that.”
Schieve echoed Delgado, saying the Council won’t change its priority of ending that benefit for new hires. But she said the new majority on the Council will be more willing to negotiate in good faith and listen to the other side’s priorities.
3. So who funded these new Council members anyway?
All three victors received heavy backing from labor unions — both public employee unions and trade unions.
But police and fire unions—those with the most to gain or lose before the Council right now—spent the most on the three races.
The Reno Fire Fighters Local 731 spent $11,000 on the three candidates. The Reno Police Protection Association spent $15,000 on the three candidates.
Of McKenzie’s $75,000 in contributions, nearly 90 percent came from labor unions.
Duerr and Schieve had a more diverse contribution base.
Duerr brought in money from Democratic activists as well as the Associated General Contractors, casino executives, developers and lobbyists.
Schieve’s donor base came from across the state—opening her up to a late attack that she was in the pockets of “liberal Democrats and Las Vegas special interests.” She took money from some of the most powerful lobbyists in the state.
She also received money from casino executives, developers, builders and—thanks to her position on a legislative medical marijuana oversight committee—owners of companies trying to get into the state’s fledgling pot dispensary business.
As an aside, former mayoral candidate Eddie Lorton gave money to Schieve and Duerr.
4. Schieve says her first 90 days are important, so what is she going to do?
Schieve said her first task is to reach out to the new and existing Council members to figure out their priorities. It’s a smart move for anyone who needs at least four votes to get her own priorities passed.
And her first priority is to bring back the Neighborhood Advisory Boards, which Schieve voted with the rest of the Council to abolish in January. On the campaign trail, however, she said she was convinced they are a vital tool for the community to participate in city business.
“When I was talking and meeting with all these people it really brings a sense of how important it is that those NABs exist,” she said.
Schieve also will work to implement her “blight reduction” initiative, which would give businesses a financial incentive to take over an abandoned or empty buildings. She also wants to repair the city’s public safety services.
5. Now that Schieve’s mayor, who gets her seat on the Council?
Schieve will be leaving vacant the Council’s at-large position when she is sworn in as mayor. The Council will discuss the process for filling that vacancy at its meeting on Wednesday.
Schieve said she wants an “open and transparent” process, but isn’t quite sure what that process should be. Will the Council accept applications? Will it set some qualifications requirement? Will it interview applicants?
“Right now, that’s what I don’t know yet,” Schieve said.
No Council member appears to favor a special election, which would be expensive and time consuming.
The candidates are already circling, lobbying Council members.
So far, though, Assemblyman David Bobzien seems to be the frontrunner. He wants the job and Schieve likes him for it.
“I just think he’d be a great candidate,” she said. “He’s got legislative experience. He’s got those relationships already. And in my experience, people really like working with him.”
But Schieve added that she’s open to seeing who else may be interested in the job.
“Who knows, there may be more people out there,” she said.
http://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/06/five-things-know-new-reno-city-council/18624759/