OPINION: Power, Influence, and Donations: Inside Devon Reese’s Rise in Reno Politics

Reno, Nevada — June 2025

As Reno grapples with a mounting budget deficit, developer-driven urban reshaping, and mounting public distrust in city leadership, one figure has emerged at the center of several high-stakes decisions: Ward 5 Councilmember Devon Reese.

An attorney, political figure, and potential candidate for either mayor or city attorney in 2026, Reese has positioned himself as a visible, vocal advocate for public employees and pro-growth policy. But a review of public records, campaign finance disclosures, and interviews with local officials and residents reveals a pattern of blurred lines between private legal practice, public decision-making, and campaign fundraising.

Union Contracts and Donations

Reese’s legal firm, Reese, Ring & Velto, represents several public sector unions—including those that negotiate directly with the City of Reno. In 2024 alone, Reese received over $16,000 in campaign contributions from the Reno Police Protective Association, the Reno Firefighters Association, IUOE Local 39, and RAPG-Professionals—groups whose contracts he later voted to approve as part of city council business.

The $26 million budget shortfall facing Reno in 2025 is due in large part to rising personnel costs, according to city budget documents. Reese has not recused himself from labor-related votes, and neither the city nor the Nevada Ethics Commission has imposed sanctions. Still, the overlapping interests raise questions of propriety.

“Even if legal, these dynamics erode public trust,” said a former city ethics officer who reviewed the circumstances.

Development Ties and Shifting Promises

Reese’s donor list also includes prominent real estate developers with pending or controversial projects. Heinz Ranch Land Company, LLC, donated $5,000 to Reese’s campaign in September 2023, and another $2,500 in December 2024, records show. The company had previously secured $37 million in bond authority from the City of Reno for a planned 5,000-unit housing development dubbed StoneGate. That project was later scaled back and reoriented toward industrial use—scrapping several promised public improvements.

Despite the shift, Reese did not publicly criticize the retraction of community benefits. Critics allege this reflects a broader trend in which developers make commitments, receive city cooperation, and later walk back those obligations with little pushback from elected officials.

Planning Power and Legal Partnerships

While Reese has stated publicly that he does not consult with planning commissioners about their votes, one of his law partners, Alex Velto, sits on the Reno Planning Commission, having been appointed by Mayor Hillary Schieve. Both Reese and Velto departed a prior law firm to launch Reese, Ring & Velto in 2020.

The Planning Commission has played a decisive role in greenlighting projects such as the 273-unit Lakeridge housing development—approved despite significant public opposition and traffic safety concerns at the intersection of Plumas and McCarran.

“There’s no direct proof of coordination,” said a local watchdog, “but the optics are troubling when law partners span multiple power centers inside city government.”

Controversial Interactions and Public Fallout

In March 2025, Reese was involved in a public dispute with a senior citizen at a wine bar, captured on surveillance footage and later publicized by local media. Reese denied any wrongdoing, but witnesses and media reports noted an aggressive exchange. In the aftermath, critics and reporters who covered the incident were subject to online backlash by some of Reese’s followers, raising concerns about attempts to chill public discourse.

Donations From Indicted Business Leaders

Reese also accepted $2,000 in donations from Stephen Kromer, CEO of UpRise Fiber, who was indicted for fraud in May 2025. Though Kromer’s legal troubles had been reported months earlier, Reese did not return the donation until May 20—after public questioning by a KSNV television segment hosted by Joe Hart. Reese has said he does not personally know Kromer.

Ethics Complaints and Possible Next Steps

Reese has previously been the subject of inquiries by the Nevada Ethics Commission for alleged improper use of public funds and connections to union activity. While no formal penalties have been levied to date, the pattern of ethical gray zones continues to draw scrutiny.

As rumors circulate about Reese seeking higher office, questions remain: How will his ties to labor, developers, and city insiders shape his next campaign? Will Reno’s political culture continue to reward those who straddle public and private power?

For now, Reese remains a central figure in Reno’s political landscape—praised by devotees, for his accessibility and activism, and scrutinized by others for the alliances and decisions that come with it.

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