Eddie Lorton, who has twice run unsuccessfully for Reno mayor, announced today he is running for the at-large City Council seat.
Devon Reese holds the seat. Reese was selected by the council for the position after David Bobzien resigned to become the director of Nevada’s energy office. Reese was selected last year and is now up for re-election.
Lorton has been a frequent critic of City Hall. He challenged past councilmember Jessica Sferrazza when she attempted a bid for mayor in 2014.
A landmark state Supreme Court decision kicked Sferrazza off the ballot when it was determined by the court she had been termed out after serving on the city council for 12 years. (She now lobbies for developers and their projects throughout the Truckee Meadows and is often announced at council meetings as a close friend of Mayor Hillary Schieve.)
Then councilmember Schieve threw her name into the race and has been mayor since, twice challenged by Lorton.
Lorton said he wants to change the city’s focus.
“It is no secret that I have unsuccessfully thrown my hat in this ring before,” he said. “One of the most important current issues, pedestrian safety, are concerns that continue to spiral out of control to the point we have to do something drastic and immediate because people are losing their lives.”
His complete statement
After careful thought and deliberation, I have decided to run for the Reno City Council’s at-large seat. The current Councilmember representing the at-large seat was appointed in order to fill an absence. I believe that our community has the right to vote for the individual they want representing their interests.
I look forward to working to earn a majority of your votes in June. Recently, the City has suffered the resignation of the City Manager after less than 3 years, the loss of the Assistant City Manager leaving to lead RTC, as well as other important City positions that will be vacant in the immediate future. Now more than ever, we need a lifelong Nevadan who has seen Reno through its ups and downs.
While Reno has grown tremendously over the past decade, unfortunately, the critical resources our community needs to develop with that growth, have been neglected. One of the most important current issues, pedestrian safety, are concerns that continue to spiral out of control to the point we have to do something drastic and immediate because people are losing their lives.
It seems like every day we wake up to news of another pedestrian accident, many of which involve children being hit while walking to school. We must refocus our efforts to actively secure the funding and support we need to begin improving our roads, lighting, technology, and other infrastructure to catch up to the whirlwind growth that Reno has recently seen.
It is no secret that I have unsuccessfully thrown my hat in this ring before. But it’s not how many times you get knocked down that matters, it’s how many times you get back up. I’ve spent the past two decades working to educate the community about matters that come before our City Council.
It is my hope that I will be able to continue helping citizens understand matters that come before the Council, while also starting a new chapter in helping community members engage directly and more regularly with our elected leaders.
