Ward 4 covers the North Valleys area. First-time candidate Ebert beat incumbent Weber by less than 200 votes. Weber was elected in 2018 and had represented the same region on the Washoe County Commission for three four-year terms before that. Ebert has experience as a benefits programs analyst, and she’s a critic of the local government’s handling of the flooding at Swan Lake and the construction of industrial buildings like warehouses near residential areas in North Valleys. She’s called for better traffic infrastructure, grocery stores, and other amenities to keep up with growth in the North Valleys areas.
For KUNR’s environmental survey, incumbent Weber was the only candidate who didn’t answer “yes” that she believes that human-caused climate change is real; however, more than 99.9% of scientific papers sampled by Cornell University agree that climate change is real and human-derived. For solutions, Ebert wants to increase efforts to clear flammable debris and vegetation to reduce wildfire risk in North Valleys.
Ward 2 represents the area south of West Moana Lane between Skyline Boulevard and South Virginia Street and includes most of South Reno. Incumbent Duerr will serve a third and final term, beating Jay Kenny, a first-time candidate and owner of Doughboys Donuts in Reno. Duerr has a background in geology and has served as the Nevada state water planner, and she also owns a small business that does mineral prospecting and consulting. Naomi has touted her efforts in approving affordable housing projects in South Reno, spearheading the construction of a geothermal and solar-powered aquatics facility, and founding the program ReLeaf Reno to plant trees in the city.
Incumbent Mayor Schieve will serve a third and final term, beating vocal critic and businessman Eddie Lorton. This is the second time the candidates have faced each other. Schieve started as the at-large city council member in 2012. She has been criticized for being overly supportive of developers over residents and for applauding the razing of motels as the region experiences a housing shortage. Schieve was the first elected official in Nevada to order business closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020. Schieve’s top priorities include addressing mental health, diversifying the economy, and community policing. For KUNR’s environmental survey, she said she’s a huge proponent of more bike lanes. Approximately 40 miles of bike lanes have been added, primarily on regional roads, since Schieve took office as mayor in 2014.
Schieve, Duerr, and Ebert will join two newcomers to Reno City Council who weren’t elected but instead appointed after the back-to-back resignation of two council members this fall.
