Who Runs the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority — and Why You Never Voted for Them
When news broke that Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA) President and CEO Daren Griffin would leave his post in January, the announcement sparked an unusually revealing public conversation on social media.
Dec 18, 2025
Buried in the comment thread was a simple question that many longtime residents quietly share:
“Can someone please tell me how the people on the Airport Authority get their authority? I’ve lived here 55 years and don’t recall ever voting for any of them.”
It is a fair question, and the answer explains much more than just how the airport is governed.
Click the image to see the news article and video on 2 News Nevada. This story was covered by other news outlets as well, so you can search for Reno Airport and CEO Daren Griffin.
What the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Is
The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority is a quasi-independent public authority. It operates Reno-Tahoe International Airport and the region’s general aviation facilities.
The RTAA:
has its own board
Controls a large budget
Makes long-term policy and infrastructure decisions
Operates at arm’s length from direct voter control
How RTAA Board Members Are Selected
Voters do not elect RTAA board members.
Instead:
The Reno City Council, Sparks City Council, and the Washoe County Commission appoint trustees
Appointees do not run campaigns
Voters do not approve or reject them
Most residents never see the appointment process happen
And the trustees are often members of the appointing organizations
The trustees are members of The Reno City Council, Sparks City Council, and the Washoe County. They appoint each other to these boards.
Once appointed, trustees oversee airport leadership, including hiring and firing the CEO.
This means the upcoming interim CEO appointment — and the direction of the permanent search — will be decided by the council and commission members who are on the board.
“But You Voted for the City Council” — The Proxy Argument
Defenders of the system often respond that voters “elect the people who appoint the board,” calling this a form of proxy accountability.
That is technically correct, but incomplete.
Proxy accountability only works when:
Appointments are transparent
Qualifications are clearly defined
The public understands how to participate
Elected officials actively oversee their appointees
In practice, many residents experience none of those things.
Why People Are Increasingly Frustrated
RTAA is not unique.
Reno and Washoe County rely heavily on unelected authorities to manage:
The airport
Water systems
Emergency medical services
Redevelopment projects
Tourism and convention funding
Housing programs
These bodies:
Control hundreds of millions of dollars
Make decisions that affect daily life
They are insulated from direct voter accountability
They are often staffed through an appointment culture rather than open competition
When residents ask how these boards get their authority, they are not rejecting civic participation — they are questioning where democratic accountability actually lives.
Another Example: The RDA and the RAAB
The Redevelopment Agency controls the City-owned properties. Citizen input is provided through the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB), which plays a limited role in Reno’s redevelopment process.
RAAB members are appointed by the City Council and serve in an advisory capacity, offering recommendations but holding no decision-making authority over redevelopment actions or the disposition of city property.
While some RAAB members bring experience in urban planning or related fields, many do not, and often friends and associates of the appointing officials get appointed. RAAB’s guidance is nonbinding.
Final authority rests entirely with the City Council acting as the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) board, meaning advisory input is filtered through the same political body that ultimately negotiates and approves redevelopment deals and accepts campaign donations. This structure does not provide independent oversight.
Control over Boards is Concentrated in a Few People
As an example, Alexis Hill, District 1 Chair of the Washoe County Board of Commissioners, holds one of the largest collections of regional and intergovernmental board seats in Washoe County.
If anyone knows what Hills’ qualifications are for any of this, please comment.
Current board and authority roles for Hill include:
Community Homelessness Advisory Board
Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County
Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA)
Western Regional Water Commission
Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA)
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)
Tahoe Transportation District / Tahoe Transportation Commission
Tahoe Prosperity Center
Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association
Truckee River Flood Management Authority
Washoe County Investment Committee
Washoe County Internal Audit Committee
Washoe County Legislative Liaison
The Tone Problem
The public reaction to those questions is telling. Instead of explanation, critics were met with:
Insults
Dismissive comments
Accusations of ignorance
Personal attacks
That response does not build public trust. It reinforces the perception that authority governance is an insider system — one that reacts defensively when questioned.
Civic curiosity should not be treated as a character flaw.
The Real Question in the future
The issue is not whether appointed authorities should exist. Many serve essential functions.
The question is whether Reno’s growing reliance on unelected boards has outpaced:
Public understanding
Oversight
Transparency
Accountability
With RTAA preparing to appoint interim leadership — and with similar structures governing redevelopment, utilities, and emergency services — this is a conversation worth having calmly, factually, and in public.
Because when residents ask, “Who is making these decisions, and why didn’t I vote for them?”
They are not disengaged. They are paying attention.