Last week, new City of Sparks Attorney Wes Duncan announced that he was going to formally embark on a “Safer Sparks and Community Tour” in a determined effort to engage with the Sparks community.
Duncan was appointed to the position of City Attorney in April of 2022 after thenacting Attorney Chet Adams announced his retirement following 28 years of service.
“I’m thankful to Chet Adams for his years of service to the City of Sparks,” Mayor Ed Lawson said. “I’m excited to see the great things Mr. Duncan will do for our city. He is passionate about his service and is a forward-thinking leader with a strong work ethic and proven track record,” he added about the transition.
Duncan became the Chief Assistant City Attorney in October of 2020, as well as being a felony prosecutor at the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office. Before moving to Northern Nevada, Duncan was an activeduty Air Force JAG [Judge Advocate Officer] stationed at the Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas when he was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served some time there and went back to Southern Nevada, meeting his wife (also in the Air Force) in 2011.They both decided to go into the reserves and raise their family, making the City of Sparks their permanent home in 2019. Duncan also served as First Assistant Attorney General at the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, where he helped manage a 400-person office and spearheaded efforts to clear the backlog of sexual assault kits that had not been tested.
Over the past few months since he became City Attorney, Duncan has met with principals, teachers, and staff at 21 local schools as well as met with respected figures in the faith community.
“As the new city attorney, I want to engage and connect with the community, and listen. I already began outreach to the community, and I want to meet with advocacy groups, business leaders, and others.
“We kicked it off [The ‘Safer Sparks and Community Tour’] formally last week but my goal is to continue to meet with community and business leaders in Sparks to discuss safety, small business development, and address the needs of residents in Sparks,” he says.
When asked what issues tend to come up the most with the City, Duncan says that homelessness and mental health are on the forefront, as well as tackling domestic violence and helping businesses get back on their feet post-pandemic.
“The heart of this is to connect with people and listen. A lot of times people feel like they’re not being heard; I’m sensitive to that and want people to know that the city is engaged in the community.
“I’m incredibly humbled by the mayor and city council appointing me to the position of City Attorney. It is a great office of people who’ve been getting me up to speed with the City’s legal issues. We all do our best to defend and protect the city.
“My goal is to make Sparks the safest place to live and the best place to raise a family. I believe the best type of government is one that is willing to listen; I look forward to listening, learning, and engaging with the citizens on our ‘Safer Sparks and Community Tour’,” Duncan adds.
Wes Duncan became the 17th City Attorney of Sparks on April 25, 2022. For more information or to reach the Sparks City Attorney’s Office, visit www.cityofsparks.us.
Leave a Reply