RENO, Nev. (AP) - The Reno City Council selected Doug Thornley as its new city manager on Monday.
Thornley was the Sparks Assistant City Manager at the time of his hire. The city manager is the highest unelected position in Reno’s City Hall.
The former real estate lawyer beat out 51 other candidates for the job. He promised to more closely examine the city’s finances and be more transparent with the media.
Six out of the seven city council members nominated Thornley as a finalist.
“I was incredibly impressed with his knowledge,” Mayor Hillary Schieve said. “You can tell he really understands the community and the region.”
Councilwoman Jenny Brekhus was the only councilmember opposed to Thornley’s appointment. She said his lack of experience as a high-level city official was troublesome.
“When you get up to a city of around 300,000, I don’t think a city manager on training wheels is the best decision,” Brekhus said.
Thornley was the assistant city manager for 14 months in Sparks, located about four miles (six kilometers) from Reno. Prior, he was an assistant city attorney for Sparks and a private attorney who represented land development companies. He is still listed as a lobbyist for a commercial development association on the Reno City Clerk’s website.
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