A Dozen Hats Now in the Ward 5 Council Selection Ring
On social media, we’ve seen different members of the community tease out possible interest in the Ward 5 Council seat selection to replace the outgoing Neoma Jardon with no follow through.
As of Friday morning, about a dozen community residents had entered the fray, much less than the at-large 2019 bonanza which had over 140 applications, and led to Devon Reese being the chosen one.
In the current list, among prominent candidates is Earstin Whitten who we’ve profiled as have many other media. A sharecropper as a child from a large family, the Arkansas-born Whitten worked decades in the insurance industry before becoming a key player in the local healthy food growing and giving scene.
Also notable is Alexander Goff who got 35% in the June Democratic primary for the State Assembly District 25 seat. He’s the current chair of the City of Reno’s Human Rights Commission, but his highly partisan pursuits, such as being Deputy Coalitions Director of the Nevada Democratic Victory organization might work against him in this context.
Conrad Frederickson stands out with an interesting background at the State of Nevada Housing Division and with NNAMHS. City of Reno Planning Commissioner Kathleen Taylor will also get a close look, but her already inside background might work against her in terms of general optics in an already contested process, which was picked over a special election. Finally, Lee Wilhelm, who ran for the seat in 2020 in a normal election process, is a hospitality instructor with the Washoe County School District with an interesting for the people of the people vibe.
Who is your favorite so far?
Applications close today for the well-paid position, followed by a Council narrowing of the pool and so called meet-and-greet sessions at the end of August, before a selection scheduled for Sept. 7.
Our Reporting Highlights this Week
Speaking of elections, this week we featured Meghan Ebert (above) running for Ward 4 in a normal election process, and came out impressed with her compassion, detailed priorities and overall vision for the North Valleys.
Our Last Motels Standing series went to the Capri Motel.