Manager of a key Nevada swing county goes on medical leave ahead of election

RENO, Nev. — The manager of a key swing county in northern Nevada is out on medical leave, a departure announced just days before the election.

Washoe County has received attention in recent weeks after turnover at the top of the elections office there. Now, with the departure of Manager Eric Brown, both elections and county government operations will be overseen by deputies during what is expected to be a very close election in this politically important county.

The county confirmed Tuesday that Brown is on leave for a planned medical procedure and will be out through late November. Assistant County Manager Dave Solaro will step in until Brown returns.

County officials are trying to quell any concerns that the shuffling of staff would affect operations in Nevada’s second most-populous county. County spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale said that Solaro served as the interim manager for several months before Brown was hired in 2019 and that he has been with the county for more than two decades.

“(Solaro) joins the rest of the county team in wishing Manager Brown well and looks forward to taking on the tasks at hand during the short period of time,” she said in an email to The Associated Press.

Last month, the county announced that Registrar Cari-Ann Burgess requested medical leave to deal with stress. But Burgess said she was forced out after refusing to go along with personnel changes sought by Brown's office. She said she asked repeatedly to stay, even providing a doctor’s note vouching for her health, and has hired a lawyer.

Overseeing the office now is Burgess’ deputy — the fifth person in four years to run the county election operation. The turnover is one symptom of a county that is closely divided politically and has been buffeted by election conspiracy theories since Republican Donald Trump lost the state to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

The county has maintained that it's “focused on conducting a smooth and fair election.”

George Guthrie, a spokesman in the Registrar of Voters office, said in an interview Tuesday before Brown's medical leave was disclosed that employees in that office appeared to be in good spirits while working hard.

“Election time is go-time for us. This is our Superbowl. The primary is the playoffs," Guthrie said. “Our people are locked in, working long hours, 12-hour days and weekends.”