Tuesday, October 15, 2024
RENO —In a letter to Reno Mayor Hector Bas, a copy of which was provided to the Tri-County Reporter, Reno City Council member Place 5 Joy Jenkins resigned her position, effective immediately, stating that she feels it has become increasingly difficult to move toward change and feels she can no longer give the citizens a voice.
“My decision was not an easy decision for me to make,” Jenkins said. “I have worked very hard to try to improve the city's financial transparency, close loopholes in building ordinances and live within our fiscal means. It has become increasingly more difficult to work for change in how the city is run and I feel I am no longer given the voice needed to help our citizens.”
Jenkins also revealed in the letter that she has had financial concerns as well and has tried to address them with the council to no avail.
“I have had concerns about monthly financial reports that did not include any revenues and not all expenses (including payroll expenses),” Jenkins said in the letter. “I expressed those concerns in every meeting since last fall and requested a budget workshop in February or March to see if we were staying on budget. The workshop was scheduled but canceled because there were only two (CM Swift and myself) council members who were interested in having the workshop.”
Jenkins said in the letter there were issues about departmental budgets and payroll not being reported correctly.
“Payroll was not reported on the financial report at all,” Jenkins said. “According to the bank statements, payroll was transferred from the general or water account to the payroll account in lump sums. It was difficult to see if departments were on budget or were predicted to go over budget.”
Jenkins also stated she can no longer support the city putting a developer's needs above its citizens. She did not name the developer by name at any point in the letter but wrote candidly about the situation.
“I can no longer support the direction in which the city is going,” Jenkins said. “I will no longer be a part of a city that puts a developer above the citizens. I don't support nor do I want my name associated with dense housing, higher taxes and a MUD district that could virtually bankrupt the citizens if it is not handled correctly by the city of Reno.”
Jenkins continues to explain the relationship between the city and the developer.
“From Aug. 27 to Sept. 19, we did not 'have time' to have another budget workshop but we did have time to schedule a Sept. 9 special council meeting to approve creating a MUD district for a developer and approve a resolution authorizing and directing the city staff to work with the City of Springtown regarding the supply, treatment and conveyance of water within the city and ETJ (for a developer),” Jenkins’ letter says. “We did not have time for our city budget but we had time to help the developer. It would have been helpful to direct the city staff to work with other water sources when our citizens were suffering with water restrictions.”
Jenkins referenced an incident that occurred during a Sept. city council meeting when a citizen was speaking but was interrupted when a council member placed a phone call to the developer.
“The last straw came during a special council meeting on Sept. 30, when a council member interrupted the meeting by calling and talking with the developer while a citizen was at the podium speaking,” Jenkins said. “At best this was rude and disruptive if not unethical. It further proves that accommodating the developer with the agenda item was paramount to the citizen speaking or to those trying to listen to the meeting.”
Jenkins concludes in her letter that she feels the city values developers over its citizens.
“It is apparent the city will do whatever it can to accommodate the developer before it will listen to the will of the majority who want to retain our rural home,” Jenkins said. “This includes leaving the loopholes in the one-acre ordinance wide open for more dense housing throughout the city and creating a MUD district that will over burden the home buyers in that district and will most likely over burden the other citizens with higher taxes.”
Click the attatchment above to read the full letter of resignation. Tri-County Reporter received permission to publish the letter written by Jenkins.
Tri-County Reporter reached out to the City of Reno for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
