Letter: Steps offered if you were misled and signed the petition for affordable housing

Dear community: Were you recently misled? Did you sign a petition recently to support a ballot measure that you now don't want to? If so, there is something you can do. A small group of newcomers to our Tahoe community have been in bars, grocery store parking lots, post offices, and at our schools, soliciting signatures for a tax on homeowners under the guise that the ballot measure they are pushing would be for affordable housing. Who doesn't support affordable housing? It is easy to be swayed by their argument, however, they are not telling the whole truth.

The signature gatherers are misleading those who put their name down by saying that this proposed Vacancy Tax will fund housing. While, according to the text of the initiative, it could – it’s almost guaranteed not to. Please read on.

This petition is a tax on housing which all property owners (including our locals) would be subject to if a property owner cannot prove there is a resident in their home for more than 183 days per year. The monies would go to a City fund that could be used for other items instead of building affordable housing - increasing the City budget by 60 percent, while they already have healthy reserves. Make no mistake - any funds raised by the tax would first go towards hiring staff and creating a bureaucracy to audit and enforce the tax, handle accounting and reporting, deal with those trying to evade it, defend it when it’s challenged in court – and whatever remains will be left up to the current City Council to decide how it’s spent, with recommendations by a committee (appointed by Council).

Taxing housing does not create more housing. A local group of homeowners and business owners have created an informational website: https://keepcommunityfirst.org/.

If you felt you were misled when signing, here is some information and steps you can take if you choose to reclaim your rights.

According to California state law, a voter who has signed an initiative and who subsequently wishes their name withdrawn may submit a written request of withdrawal to the City of South Lake Tahoe Clerk to request that their name be removed from the petition. Contact Susan Blankenship to have your name removed, as signature gatherers are submitting your name at any time now. If you wish to rescind, it must be before they file the petition.

To rescind your signature, you need to either go in person and drop off a letter stating so, or submit via mail, as the Clerk needs your "wet" signature (physically signed with ink).

It must include:
Your name
Your registered voter address
The Initiative Title: An initiative Measure to establish a tax on owners of vacant residential units in the City of South Lake Tahoe

For more information contact, drop off, or mail your letter to:

Susan Blankenship, City Clerk
sblankenship@cityofslt.us
Phone:(530) 542-6005

Office of the City Clerk
1901 Lisa Maloff Way, Ste. 206
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Joby Cefalu
South Lake Tahoe resident