Former Reno City Council member Neoma Jardon next week is scheduled to settle an ethics violation with the Nevada State Ethics Commission. Jardon, who resigned last year from the city council, was immediately hired to head the Downtown Reno Partnership.
The hire led to a complaint being filed with the commission alleging violations of state ethics laws regarding a cooling off period of one year.
“Jardon’s actions constitute a single course of conduct resulting in one non-willful violation of the Ethics Law…” the commission’s agenda notes. “Although violations of the cooling off provisions of the ethics law can be serious, there is no evidence in this case that Jardon took specific actions as a public officer in exchange for private employment or otherwise used public resources to acquire her new position.”
Jardon, according to the state, cooperated with the commission’s investigation.
“Because Jardon was willing to resolve the matter prior to a review panel determination, minimal costs were incurred for Commission proceedings,” the agenda continues. “There is clear evidence of her intent to maintain ethical integrity of the process and the merits of her hiring.”
Jardon told This Is Reno she was advised by her attorneys not to comment in advance of next week’s meeting. She is agreeing to pay a penalty of $3,000.
A number of City of Reno officials have faced ethics complaints. Most have been dismissed, but Reno Fire Chief David Cochran is facing an ethics violation and investigation for appearing last year in a U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto commercial wearing fire department garb.
CORRECTION: This report originally said a search for the DRP executive did not occur. That was incorrect.
