William Mantle

I am an unapologetically non-partisan candidate for Reno City Council - Ward 6, a city I have called home for 16 of my 37 years.

I was raised in the small town of Eureka, Nevada to a working-class family who struggled to make ends meet. Having lived with financial strain I understood how hard it is to ‘make it work’ in Nevada (and how much worse it has become in recent years) and that our elected officials can and must do more to address the specific needs of our community—the first step is to be available and communicate; not shut the door, ignore the phone, and hide away.

After receiving my Bachelor’s (‘09) and Master’s degrees (‘11) in Criminal Justice from UNR, I spent 2.5 years in Omaha, NE pursuing a Ph.D. in Criminology—but eventually realized academia was not where my passions lay. I returned to Reno in 2015 and have spent the years since serving my community. Cumulatively, I have about 15 years of work as a government employee in one form or another. Recently, I spent 5 years working in the District Attorney’s office as a Family Support Specialist seeing first-hand how our local institutions and infrastructure are failing our community and families in Reno. Presently, I work as a Legal Assistant for the Alternate Public Defender’s office, one of the best law firms in the state, helping to meet the overwhelming task of providing high quality indigent defense for Washoe.

I love Reno and I’m beyond excited to be able to run for Ward 6!

• I’ll Be A Premium Representative! South Reno, historically and vastly, has been within Ward 2 which has been led by Naomi Duerr most recently. Ward 6, and all of Reno, can rest assured that if I am elected I will be a representative that aims to go well beyond the level of accessibility, advocacy, and representation that you have come to expect from Ms. Duerr. I will attend my committee meetings, ask the hard questions of staff, and vote for the interests of Ward 6 and all of Reno. I will see the problems and concerns of my constituents as my own and work full-time to ensure you know I’m out there kicking ass.
• I’ll Reinvigorate Our Environment Reno exists because of its ecology. Were it not for the temperate valley and plentiful water of the Truckee we wouldn’t enjoy what we have today. Increasingly, Reno’s economy is becoming more ecologically driven. We love our fishing, water sports, skiing, biking, and so much more. But the outlook of our region is ecologically precarious. According to a recent report on the expectations of climate change in our region, we are going to continue our warming trend (not good). Asphalt is hot. Roofs are hot. Cars produce heat. We need to mitigate our heat through greater foliage and tree usage, environmentally design our spaces to promote positive (not stagnant) airflow, and create more green spaces.
• I’ll Increase Reno’s Services Have you ever waited months for a Doctors appointment? Have you waited weeks for a Veterinarian to have an opening to see your pet? Have you struggled to find a primary care physician or locate a specialist that can meet your needs? Have you ever traveled to Sacramento for your medical care regularly? Reno, and Washoe County as a whole, are growing. Our services haven’t kept up. If I’m elected it will be a major priority to ensure we focus on zoning and incentivizing the building of medical offices and service facilities (not warehouses), and pioneer a program to pay the licensing fees for new professionals (and whatever else we can reasonably do) to retain and entice these professionals.

Housing, Environment, Justice Reform, Land Use, 15 minute cities, Public Transport, Sustainability, Managed Growth, Planning, Homelessness, Education Reform, and so much more.

The City Council is the legislating body of our municipality. The operation, order, and safety of our city originates from the Council and sets the expectations for what our society prioritizes and wants to be.

The Hyperion Cantos.

Clarity, accountability, transparency, empathy, and conviction. Our electeds need to be better than us--they need to be role models and someone we can aspire to be.

To be frank, I have amassed a reputation of being a bit of a sh*tstirrer because I just can't leave things that I think are wrong or harmful alone. I want to see things be better and absolutely push for a higher quality of life for everyone. I've a sharp wit, keen mind, and deep empathy.

To uphold the integrity of the office, improve the quality of life of all their citizens, be a liaison to the community, and act to preserve the health, safety, and function of their jurisdiction.

This is a hard question because I believe I understand the Council well, but I think one of the least emphasized responsibilities are all the boards and commissions that these Councilors serve on. They make wide-ranging policy and budgetary decisions that affect lots of lives.

Yes, absolutely. Understanding the process and dynamics of governance are important for efficacy (which I happen to have extensive experience in!).

Research, writing, public speaking, empathy, honesty, understanding of development, codes, and the limits of their own power//authority.

The Sierra club and lots of people

Transparency should be a priority and the default. The government must be accountable to its people as it is built on the trust of its people. Should that trust be violated, or actors found to be self-serving, there must be accountability to restore the integrity of the government.