Mayor, area activist exchange words at meeting

An area entertainer/political activist and Carson City Mayor Marv Teixeira exchanged words Thursday during the Board of Supervisors meeting.

Sam Dehné, a Washoe County resident who frequents government proceedings in Washoe County and, recently, here in Carson, wanted to speak about an upcoming water bond. The mayor wanted him to wait until the meeting reached the public hearing portion of that issue.

Supervisors meetings start off with public comments about things not on the agenda. A Carson City resident, noticing there were a lot of people in the meeting room for proclamations and other minor business, offered to make his remarks about a different water issue later in the meeting and the mayor agreed.

After the Carson City man spoke during the second designated comment period for issues not on the agenda, Dehné wanted to speak about the water bond, an issue scheduled to start immediately after the second public comment time.

The mayor said no because that issue wasn't up yet. Dehné continued to raise his hand and ask, then demand, to speak.

Teixeira, after shouting at him to sit down, finally threatened to have him removed from the meeting.

Dehné responded by calling him a "slovenly, fat pig" and quickly left the room.

"We hadn't gotten to the issue yet on the agenda," said Melanie Bruketta, the city's chief deputy district attorney, about the exchange.

The mayor had deferred the rest of the public comment so the other person would have ample time to speak and Dehné "had already made public comment," she said.

Dehné has filed complaints with the state attorney general about Carson City's Board of Supervisors meetings recently.

The state Attorney General's office found in favor of the city when Dehné asserted last year that there needed to be open public comment periods every time the supervisors went from function to function, such as from liquor board to redevelopment authority activities.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.