What Reno’s City Council Can—and Can’t—Do With Jeremy Aguero’s Advice
A breakdown of which economic and fiscal reforms are within Reno’s local control, which require regional cooperation, and which depend on state or federal action.
Oct 31, 2025
Jeremy Aguero’s recommendations — while insightful — span multiple tiers of government, meaning the City Council’s ability to act depends on which category of recommendation you’re talking about. Below is a breakdown of what the Reno City Council can directly implement, influence indirectly, or only advocate for.
Reno’s Economic Reality Check: Jeremy Aguero’s Blueprint for Fiscal Resilience
See this article for a summary of the presentation by Jeremy Aguero to the City Council.
1. Fiscal Stewardship and Core Services
✅ Direct Authority
The City Council has the strongest control in this area. Aguero’s call for balanced budgets, healthy reserves, and structural discipline aligns squarely with powers already vested in the Council through the Reno City Charter and Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS 268).
What the Council can do:
Adopt balanced budgets and manage general fund allocations.
Set reserve policies (e.g., maintain minimum fund balance percentages).
Adjust staffing, service levels, and capital project priorities to match revenue.
Direct the City Manager to produce multi-year fiscal forecasts and implement cost-control measures to ensure effective budgeting and financial management.
Enact financial transparency ordinances, such as quarterly budget dashboards or the establishment of an audit committee.
Bottom line: These recommendations fall squarely within their operational control — this is where the Council can make the most immediate impact.
2. Economic Diversification and Revenue Structure
⚖️ Partial / Shared Authority
Reno can shape local business conditions, but state law heavily constrains municipal revenue options. Nevada’s centralized tax system (especially property and sales tax distribution formulas) limits how cities can diversify their fiscal base.
What the Council can do:
Streamline permitting and zoning to attract new industries (advanced manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, tech).
Leverage redevelopment districts (RDA) and tax increment financing (TIF) for targeted growth.
Create business incentive zones or fee waivers for small/local startups.
Advocate at the Legislature for revenue diversification reforms — e.g., adjusting the property tax cap (AB489) or enabling new local options taxes.
Partner with EDAWN, the Chamber, and TMCC/UNR to link workforce programs with local employer needs.
Bottom line: The Council can drive economic diversification, but fiscal diversification will require legislative change in Carson City and collaboration with regional partners.
3. Workforce Development and Talent Retention
Indirect Influence
The Council can’t directly create or fund workforce training programs at scale (that’s primarily the territory of states and educational institutions), but it can influence the ecosystem.
What the Council can do:
Support local apprenticeship and training initiatives through grants or land-use approvals (especially in trades, public safety, and healthcare).
Collaborate with UNR, TMCC, and the School District to align programs with city infrastructure and hiring needs.
Use city facilities and public communications to promote vocational opportunities and trade pathways.
Adopt local hiring incentives or requirements for city contracts.
Bottom line: Influence through partnerships and policy signaling, not direct control.
4. Infrastructure Investment and Sustainability
✅ Direct Control over Prioritization; Shared Control over Funding
Infrastructure planning is a core municipal function, but execution depends on available funding and interagency cooperation (NDOT, RTC Washoe, NV Energy, Truckee Meadows Water Authority).
What the Council can do:
Prioritize projects through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
Direct Public Works and Engineering to apply ROI and sustainability criteria for projects.
Allocate or reprogram funding from general fund, enterprise funds, or ARPA reserves.
Coordinate with regional entities (RTC, TMWA, Washoe County) to align transportation, water, and energy goals.
Adopt “green infrastructure” standards in zoning and building codes.
Bottom line: Reno controls the “what and where” of projects, but often depends on regional and federal dollars for the “how much.”
5. Public Engagement and Convening Power
✅ Full Authority
This is an area where Reno can immediately implement Aguero’s advice. The Council and City Manager can raise awareness, convene stakeholders, and foster regional partnerships on issues such as food insecurity, housing, and energy costs.
What the Council can do:
Host public workshops or “economic roundtables” to discuss issues like energy affordability or SNAP access.
Create advisory task forces (e.g., “Fiscal Resilience Working Group”).
Utilize the city’s communication channels to inform the public about policy trade-offs and economic realities.
Facilitate partnerships with nonprofits, regional governments, and private sector actors.
Bottom line: This is a low-cost, high-impact action space — it builds trust and community buy-in without requiring new tax authority.
6. Social and Economic Equity Issues
⚖️ Indirect but Symbolically Powerful
While issues like housing affordability, SNAP, or healthcare costs fall broadly outside the city’s jurisdiction, Reno can integrate equity into its land-use, zoning, and procurement policies.
What the Council can do:
Expand inclusionary zoning incentives (e.g., density bonuses for affordable units).
Prioritize housing near transit and jobs through zoning and redevelopment planning.
Use Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support food security or shelter programs.
Champion policy coordination through the Regional Planning Commission and Washoe County Human Services Agency.
Bottom line: The City Council can’t rewrite state welfare laws — but it can shape the local environment where affordability and access play out.
7. State and Federal Advocacy
Influence Only
For structural tax reform, housing finance rules, or SNAP/energy programs, Reno’s role is advocacy and coalition-building.
What the Council can do:
Lobby the Nevada Legislature for municipal tax flexibility (e.g., reforming the property tax cap, expanding room tax distribution).
Work through the Nevada League of Cities to build consensus on statewide reforms.
Engage with Nevada’s congressional delegation for federal infrastructure and workforce grants.
Bottom line: The city’s voice matters politically, even when its hands are tied legislatively.
Final Assessment
Jeremy Aguero’s roadmap is actionable if the Council views itself less as a day-to-day operator and more as a strategic influencer. The most immediate levers are:
Fiscal discipline and transparency.
Intelligent prioritization of infrastructure.
Convening public-private partnerships.
However, lasting change in Reno’s fiscal structure — such as tax modernization and revenue diversification — will depend on regional collaboration and legislative advocacy, not municipal ordinance alone.