Candidates for three seats on the Washoe Board of County Commissioners answered numerous questions Thursday at a forum held by the Reno News & Review, KWNK Radio, The Holland Project, and ThisisReno.
The event, called “Speak Youth to Power,” was hosted by the Washoe County Library System and featured two incumbents as well as newcomers.
Incumbents Kitty Jung and Jeanne Herman joined challengers Greg Smith, Austin Grush, Lindsy Judd, and Steve Wolgast, each attempting to take seats from three county districts. Bob Lucey was a no-show at the event.
Bret Delaire and Kel Buchanan, running for district 2, were unable to attend, and Bill Johnson (district 3) did not respond to emails at the email address he provided to the county. Candidates are elected to serve a four-year term
Alejandra Hernandez Chavez was moderator and asked questions. The questions below correspond with the time in the video, so you may click to hear the answers for just those questions rather than watching the complete hour-and-a-half video.
Introduction
- Welcome by Bob Conrad, ThisisReno (watch here)
- Alejandra Chavez, introduction (watch here 3:44)
- Candidate introductions (watch here 5:14)
Questions
- What are the issues in our community that you want to address as county commissioner? (watch here 11:12)
- With the growth in Washoe County, what is the responsibility of the county commission, and of yourself, to assure affordable housing is available for all? (watch here 21:00)
- What do you balance economic growth with transportation problems? (watch here 31:22)
- How will you ensure people know who you are and what the county commission does? (watch here 42:41)
Audience Questions
- Affordable housing is often substandard housing. How can you go about getting more information to renters about their rights? (watch here 54:21)
- How do you change landlord/tenant laws? (watch here 1:02:19)
- Why is the County Commission trying to strip away protections from wilderness study areas throughout the county while giving up hundreds of acres of public land to developers? (watch here: 1:04:02)
- Question/comment to Kitty Jung: At the Progressive Summit, a joke was made about suicide. What was said and why? (watch here 1:12:06)
- Verdi-area citizens are upset with the City of Reno annexing county property. Is there any appetite by the county commission to push back against those annexations? (watch here 1:18:00)
- Question to Jeanne Herman: What’s your plan for Lemmon Valley flooding, and why have you been conspicuously absent during the communications and response on this issue? (watch here: 1:22:12)
- What can be done about the road that goes through Lemmon Valley and its speed limit? (watch here 1:30:32)
The candidates
District 2
- Kel Buchanan (R)
- Bret Delaire (R)
- Bob Lucey (incumbent, R)
- Stephen Wolgast (D)
District 3
- Austin Grush (D)
- Bill Johnson (R)
- Kitty Jung (incumbent, D)
District 5
- Jeanne Herman (incumbent, R)
- Lindsy Judd (D)
- Greg Smith (D)
