The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. Washoe County FY27 budget focuses on stability amid slowing revenue growth: Division Director of Budget Lori Cooke presented Washoe County’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, which reflects a cautious approach as economic conditions shift and revenue growth slows, particularly in property tax collections, the county’s largest funding source.
The $1.13 billion recommended budget prioritizes maintaining core services while addressing rising costs, with county leadership emphasizing fiscal discipline and long-term sustainability.
Cooke noted that economic indicators have changed since earlier projections, including slower GDP growth, persistent inflation and global factors such as tariffs and instability in the Middle East affecting costs. At the same time, property tax revenue growth is beginning to slow, even as the county continues to operate under a capped tax structure.
To offset these pressures, the county has continued restructuring efforts, including consolidating services and departments, modernizing operations, and reducing costs.
The manager’s recommended budget maintains a strong commitment to the workforce, avoiding layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes while keeping employees working and sustaining service levels.
The general fund revenue and funding sources, totaling approximately $582.7 million, is largely driven by property and consolidated taxes, which together make up more than 80 percent of ongoing revenue. At the same time, personnel costs continue to dominate expenditures, accounting for roughly three-quarters of spending across most funds.
Key investments in the budget include a $4 million increase to the roads fund to help maintain pavement conditions, though officials noted this addresses only short-term needs and not long-term funding gaps. Additional funding is also directed to public health, public safety systems, and critical infrastructure.
Overall, the budget reflects a balancing act between maintaining services and preparing for future financial challenges, as expenditures are projected to continue outpacing revenue growth in the coming years.
The public hearing on the tentative budget and adoption of the final budget will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners in May.
“From the budget workshop, we’ve all learned the term ‘increasing at a decreasing rate,’ and that’s what’s happening, so we have to live within our means,” Chair Clara Andriola said. “I’d like to extend a huge thanks to the (Budget) team and Manager Thomas for meeting with everyone and looking at how we can prioritize the budget that actually has mandated requirements and those that aren’t, and how we balance that. And moving toward a priority-based budgeting process is really going to help… It’s not going to be for this year, but we are incorporating some of that into this year.”
2. Registrar of Voters informs Board of 2026 Primary Election Vote Centers: Registrar Andrew McDonald highlighted the locations of 22 early voting sites and 50 Election Day Vote Centers, including several new locations and expanded accessibility. ADA Curbside Voting, the first of its kind in the state, will be available at all Vote Centers. In addition, Washoe County has transitioned to utilizing ballot-marking devices, allowing the community to print and cast a full-length paper ballot when voting in-person. Voters can easily find the list of Vote Center locations by visiting washoecounty.gov/votecenters.
3. Board approves trails grant: Washoe County received a $68,000 grant from the Recreational Trails Program, Nevada Division of State Parks, to design four trail bridges in the final section of the Sierra Front Trail connecting Hunter Lake Road to Ballardini Ranch Trailhead. The county’s match is $17,000 for a total project cost of approximately $85,000. Washoe County Parks is partnering with the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to construct a portion of the Sierra Front Trail, which crosses a combination of county-owned open space, public use trail easements, and Forest Service lands.
4. Board approves Dogs in the Workplace Policy: Washoe County Human Resources has developed a policy to accommodate dogs in the workplace, which the Board unanimously approved and made effective today. Research demonstrates that employees working around dogs may experience significant benefits including reduced stress, enhanced relaxation, improved performance, more positive social interactions, increased communications with coworkers, and better overall mood.
The policy includes extensive eligibility requirements, behavioral standards, owner responsibilities, and safety protocols designed to protect all employees, visitors, and County operations.
Additionally, employees who work with service dog organizations such as Liberty Dogs or Paws 4 Love may need to bring their foster dogs or dogs in training with them into the workplace. By allowing these foster arrangements to continue during work hours where appropriate, Washoe County directly supports vital services for veterans and persons with disabilities.
“Liberty Dogs is a national service dog training and placement program that exists to serve U.S. veterans, but we cannot do it alone. It takes a community and policies to make it possible,” Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry, CEO of Liberty Dogs, said. “For organizations like ours, this policy enables us and our employees to raise future service dogs for veterans with the support of workplaces… This is not just about allowing service dogs in the workplace, this is also about supporting employee wellness, strengthening workplace culture, and importantly creating pathways to serve our veteran community.”
5. Board approves amendment to lease for Sierra View Library: Roter Investments of Nevada Limited Partnership, as an advocate for public libraries, extended its lease to the Sierra View Library Branch located at the Reno Town Mall for a five-year term. The annual increase will be zero percent for the first year, and 3 percent each year after that. The proposed amendment reflects the County’s ongoing commitment to maintaining accessible library services in a central location, ensuring continuity of operations for one of the region’s most utilized library branches.
“I want to commend the staff for negotiating that lease and saving the county a lot of money,” Commissioner Mike Clark said. “The owner of the center is apparently a big fan of the library, and he’s listening to us and he’s lowered the lease and the annual escalator, and these are all wins for the community having a nice library centrally located, and we’re saving money on the cost of the rent, so I want to commend the staff for doing that.”
6. Nevada tourism director presents overview of statewide America250 celebration: Brenda Scolari, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, presented the statewide effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which culminates on July 4, 2026. The state is taking the lead in educating on the relevance of the Constitution and other founding documents, engaging Nevadans through civic participation and volunteerism, and celebrating the concepts that unite us as Nevadans.
“We will celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s founding by recognizing the diverse contributions of Nevadans and promoting civic education and engagement. That mission reflects the tent-pole themes developed by the national America250 organization: learn, engage, celebrate.” Scolari said. “These are admirable, certainly. We understood that in these politically charged times, we’d need to better understand how these would fit in Nevada, and though we know that parades and fireworks are amazing, we really preferred to do something that would have a lasting impact even after July 4.”
Residents are invited to submit oral history through an online platform. In June, KUNR and KNPR will feature the stories in a podcast series, and an interactive exhibit will be available at state museums.
America250 Nevada is cataloguing qualifying events that celebrate and honor the special anniversary. Washoe County kicked off its semi quincentennial celebration with a monthly Moment of Honor at the Washoe County Historic Courthouse and monthly podcast episodes featuring a piece of American history special to Washoe County.
Learn more and how to participate in the celebrations at www.America250Nevada.org.
7. Board recognizes special causes with proclamations: County Commissioners read proclamations recognizing special causes this month:
- April 19-25 as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
- April 12-18 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
- April 19-25 as National Library Week
- April 13-20 as Nevada Dark Skies Week
8. Board approves donations to support Washoe County’s vulnerable populations: The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the following donations:
- 47 Narcan kits valued at $2,115, donated by Quest Counseling and Consulting Inc. to Washoe County Juvenile Services;
- Numerous cash donations from residents and businesses totaling nearly $13,000, in addition to nearly $13,000 in donated goods and services, to Child Protective Services. Jurors donated their fees in the amount of $2,275 as well.
- Just over $2,330 in donated clothing, personal hygiene products, and bus passes, from numerous community members to the Division of Housing and Homeless Services. Additionally Second Baptist Church donated $500 to Homeless Services.
- $1,140 in cash donations from Meals on Wheels and resident Ann Kent; $2,380 in gift cards from City of Reno; and an unknown value of winter hats, gloves and scarves from Patagonia to Washoe County Senior Services.
###
