Dear City of Reno mayoral candidate,

Congratulations on plunking down your $30 filing fee to fulfill your dream of being the Mayor of the Biggest Little City. Now the hard part begins.

As one of 20 possibilities, you’re going to have to sell yourself to the primary election voters in the coming months. In such a crowded field, you’ll need to distinguish yourself quickly. Please articulate a vision that not only appeals to progressives but is inspirational enough to motivate us to go to the polls since the most competitive primaries are between the far right and less-than-moderate Republican wings. And we certainly don’t want ultra conservatives choosing our next mayor.

This year, progressives are looking for someone who is less of a personality and more of a populist than we’ve had in the past. More Barbara Bennett, less Bob Cashell.

We want a mayor who understands that growth for growth’s sake is not the goal; sustainability is.

We could really get behind a forward-thinking mayor who knows what an “agrihood” is and will support them. We’d like someone who will stop dedicating our taxes to subsidize rich businessmen and start investing in our neighborhoods instead.

We want a mayor who is willing to ruffle some feathers of the good-old-boys. We’re tired of the “father knows best” mentality of the behind-the-scene power brokers. We want a mayor who listens to the people.

Please say you’ll change the city charter to comply with the Voting Rights Act and let citizens select their own neighborhood councilmember. No more of this nonsense that citywide elections are somehow superior. Let’s open up elections to people who won’t have to kowtow to developers to raise enough money to be competitive.

It should go without saying that our mayor should not be a bully. She or he should lead by example, not by implied or overt threats of retaliation should a councilmember question authority. The mayor should also treat city staff with the respect they deserve and avoid blaming them for the missteps of the Council. Hire the best and then avoid micromanaging the details. Let your managers manage.

But neither should our mayor be a joke. We want someone who is serious about the job and who demonstrates some practical knowledge about the challenges facing our underappreciated, overleveraged city. Criticizing the current council serves its purpose, but we want a leader, not a heckler-in-chief.

Progressives will support a mayor who shows he or she sincerely cares about Reno’s citizens, even those who are obviously struggling, including the drug-addicted and the mentally ill. Expect to answer questions about the homeless shelter, the triage center, and the lack of transitional housing options. What can Reno do to reduce the amount of meth and heroin on our streets and make sure evidenced-based substance abuse treatment is available on-demand?

And what about making public transportation fully accessible and relevant?

We want a mayor who will avoid picking fights with other elected officials and instead direct that energy to actually solving difficult problems that don’t recognize an arbitrary line between jurisdictions. Forget about who gets the credit. Just get the job done.

When you show up at our door campaigning in the weeks ahead, we’ll have our questions ready and we’ll expect more than platitudes in response. We appreciate your effort and the time you’ll be sacrificing to earn our vote. We might even decide to help you campaign if you inspire us.

Remember, when progressives unite, as they did two years ago in the crowded Ward 1 race, it makes a difference. Jenny Brekhus won.

But you better get going since June 10th is almost here.

Just don’t take us for granted. We’ll be listening carefully.