SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – South Tahoe Now emailed all 13 South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates the same questions so voters could get to know them before deciding on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Responses will be published in the order received, along with photos they provided. South Tahoe Now also emailed the two candidates for City Clerk with their own set of questions. Not all candidates replied, so the public will be unable to read their responses.

Name: Aimi Xistra

How long have you lived full-time in South Lake Tahoe? Since 1997. I was out of Tahoe from 2003 – 2005, attending SFSU and studying in the CSU study abroad program in Florence, Italy.

What is your occupation? I’m the Director of Development for the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe and have been since 2022. I have lived AND worked at LOCAL businesses for more than 25 years.

What is your education? I graduated from SFSU in 2025 with my BA in English. Currently studying for my CFRE.

What makes you qualified to be on City Council? I’m running to give our local businesses, workforce, and youth a stronger voice on the council. South Lake Tahoe’s elected officials should serve the full breadth of this community, not just the loudest interests, and that means balancing environmental stewardship with the community services residents actually rely on day-to-day. A functional council starts with members who can work collaboratively toward real solutions, and that’s the kind of leadership I intend to bring. My focus is the South Lake Tahoe we want to be proud of in 30 years, built deliberately, not by accident.

My qualifications come from 25 years living and working in this city, raising a family here, and understanding firsthand what it takes to preserve and strengthen a community like ours. Families and children should be a central priority in city decision-making, and I want a South Lake Tahoe that works for them while remaining a destination we can responsibly share with millions of visitors each year. That means expanding accessibility without compromising the natural beauty that defines this place, and educating both locals and tourists on how to coexist with wildlife in what is a genuinely fragile ecosystem.

Beyond residency, I have a track record of getting things done. I’ve put in the work at the local level. Since 2023, I’ve served on the Arts, Culture and Tourism Commission, where I helped bring over 15 new art installations to the city and directed more than $60,000 in microgrants to local artists. That track record shows I can collaborate across groups and deliver tangible results, exactly the kind of experience this council needs.

What is your level of understanding of the Brown Act and other council procedures? Do you feel agenda item deliberations could be streamlined? I have a solid working understanding of the Brown Act and how it governs council procedure. At its core, the Act requires that all deliberations and actions by the council happen in open, publicly noticed meetings — agendas have to be posted in advance, the public must have a meaningful opportunity to comment on every item, and council members can’t use serial communications (private conversations, email chains, or even social media exchanges among a majority) to discuss or decide city business outside a properly noticed meeting. Closed sessions are the narrow exception, limited to specific matters like litigation, personnel, and real property negotiations. We follow the Brown Act for the City’s Arts, Culture and Tourism Commission of which I’ve been appointed to since 2023.

I’m also aware the rules around remote participation changed this year. Senate Bill 707, signed into law in October 2025, made extensive updates to the Brown Act’s open meeting and teleconferencing requirements, restructuring provisions that were set to expire and creating new rules to expand public access and participation. The law now expressly allows council members to participate by teleconference as a reasonable accommodation for a disability, and it also broadened “just cause” remote participation to cover situations like caregiving needs, illness, official travel, or family medical emergencies. Traditional teleconferencing still requires that at least a quorum of members participate from within the jurisdiction’s boundaries. Staying current on changes like this matters — Brown Act compliance isn’t static, and a council member needs to understand not just the letter of the law but why it exists: to keep the public’s business in public view. 

On streamlining deliberations: yes, I think there’s real room for improvement, but it has to be done carefully so efficiency doesn’t come at the expense of transparency or public input. Some approaches I’d want to explore:

  • Better agenda organization — grouping related items, using consent calendars more effectively for routine or non-controversial matters, and council members committing to review and comprehend staff reports in advance so meeting time is spent deliberating rather than getting oriented.
  • Time-boxing without cutting off substance — setting reasonable expectations for how long an item should take based on its complexity, while still protecting the public’s right to comment.
  • Front-loading questions — encouraging council members to submit clarifying questions to staff before the meeting so meetings aren’t consumed by back-and-forth that could have been resolved in advance.
  • Clearer decision points — making sure motions are well-defined and procedurally clean so votes aren’t delayed by confusion over what’s actually being decided.

The goal isn’t to rush deliberation — it’s to make sure the time we do spend in session is focused and productive, so the public’s time and the council’s time are both respected. A functional council runs efficient meetings and remains fully transparent; those two things aren’t in tension if the process is designed well.

Have you ever served on a commission or committee for the City of South Lake Tahoe? If so, what was it?  Or, have you served other communities in this capacity in the past? Yes, I currently serve on the City of South Lake Tahoe’s Arts, Culture and Tourism Commission, where I’ve served since 2023. I was co-chair of the commission in 2024 and chair in 2025, which has given me direct experience not just participating in city government, but leading within it by setting agendas, guiding discussion toward productive outcomes, and making sure every commissioner’s voice was heard while still moving the group toward decisions.

During my time on the commission, I’ve helped bring more than 15 new art installations to the city, adding to the character and vibrancy of our public spaces. I’ve also helped direct over $60,000 in microgrants to local artists, providing funding that supports our creative community directly and helps keep South Lake Tahoe a place where local talent can thrive rather than move elsewhere for opportunity.

Serving as chair and co-chair taught me practical lessons I’d carry directly into a council seat: how to run an efficient, fair meeting; how to build consensus among people with different priorities; how to evaluate funding proposals responsibly and transparently; and how to keep a group focused and collaborative even when opinions differ. It also gave me firsthand insight into how city processes, from public noticing to interdepartmental coordination, actually work.

I see this commission experience, and the leadership roles I’ve held within it, as a strong foundation for serving our community more broadly on the council. I know what it takes to lead a public body responsibly, and I’m ready to bring that same commitment to the council table.

If you served in previous leadership roles, please name them. Is there anything you wish you’d done differently, and how would you use those lessons on council? Over my nearly 30 years in Tahoe, I’ve held supervisor, manager, and director roles across a variety of industries. That range has taught me that good leadership looks a little different in every setting, but the fundamentals stay the same: clear communication, trust, and a genuine investment in the people you work with.

I enjoy collaborating with a group to accomplish great things. I’ve found that the best results come when people feel heard and valued, and when everyone understands how their work contributes to the larger goal.

In every leadership role I’ve held, I’ve made a point of considering the lasting impact of my decisions and their long-term effects, not just what solves the problem in front of me today. I try to ask how a choice will affect the team, the organization, and the community down the road, and I let that guide my approach.

That experience would serve me well on the city council. Council decisions shape a community for years, often in ways that aren’t visible right away, so weighing long-term consequences is essential. Having managed budgets, teams, and competing priorities, I understand the trade-offs involved in balancing needs with limited resources. Just as importantly, I know how to listen to different viewpoints, work toward common ground, and reach decisions that a group can stand behind, which is the heart of effective council work. And after so many years living and working in Tahoe, I bring a real understanding of what matters to the people who call this community home.

If elected, how do you plan on representing the community? If they don’t attend meetings in person, how will you know what they want? How would you get more citizens engaged? Representing this community means actively going out to meet people where they already are, rather than expecting them to come to me. I’ll host regular coffee chats in accessible, informal settings (places people already frequent) so that residents who might never attend a council meeting still have a direct, low-pressure way to talk with me. I’ll be responsive to emails and other outreach, and I’ll continue showing up at community events, local gatherings, and existing meetings, because presence builds trust and trust is what gets people to actually share what they think.

For those who don’t attend meetings in person, I plan to build multiple standing channels so I’m hearing from the community continuously, not just when there’s a controversial item on the agenda. That means working directly with organizations that already represent large segments of our community: the Tahoe Chamber, South Tahoe Lodging Association, South Tahoe Association of Realtors, South Tahoe Restaurant Association, and local nonprofits. I want their members’ concerns to reach me on a regular basis, not only when something urgent comes up. These groups are already talking to their members regularly; partnering with them means I’m not relying solely on whoever happens to show up to a Tuesday night meeting. I also want to make sure feedback works in both directions, sharing the council agenda before decisions are made, not just after, so people have a real chance to weigh in while it still matters.

Ultimately, decisions made by council members should reflect the wishes of the local community. That only works if I’m doing the work to actually hear from that community continuously, through as many channels as possible, not just waiting for them to find their way into council chambers.

How important is an ethics policy and decorum policy for City Council, and why?  What should these policies include? An ethics policy and a decorum policy are foundational to a functional council. These are not just good-to-have add-ons, but the framework that makes everything else the council does credible. Public trust in local government is important and it’s built or broken by how council members conduct themselves. Without clear standards, even well-intentioned disagreements can curdle into dysfunction, and the public loses confidence that decisions are being made fairly. I’ve said throughout this campaign that I want a functional council that can work collaboratively toward solutions, that’s not possible without agreed-upon rules for how we treat each other and how we handle conflicts of interest.

Why an ethics policy matters: An ethics policy protects the integrity of every decision the council makes. It ensures that when a council member votes on a contract, a development project, or a budget item, the public can trust that decision was made in the community’s interest, not a personal or financial one. It also protects council members themselves, giving them clear guidance so they can avoid even the appearance of impropriety, which can be just as damaging as an actual conflict.

An effective ethics policy should include:

  • Conflict of interest disclosure and recusal requirements — clear rules for when a member must disclose a financial, personal, or professional interest and step aside from deliberation and voting.
  • Gift and hospitality limits — transparent thresholds on what council members can accept from those doing business with or seeking favor from the city.
  • Post-employment restrictions — reasonable limits on council members using their position for future personal or business benefit immediately after leaving office.
  • Clear reporting and enforcement mechanisms — a real process for raising concerns and holding members accountable, not just an honor system.
  • Regular training — ongoing education so ethics isn’t treated as a one-time checkbox but a standard members are reminded of and held to consistently.

Why a decorum policy matters:
A decorum policy sets the tone for how council members treat each other, staff, and the public, especially during disagreements. Tahoe is a small, tight-knit community, and council members will disagree on real issues; that’s healthy. But how we disagree matters enormously. Respectful conduct keeps meetings focused on substance instead of personality conflicts, and it sets the standard for how the public is expected to engage as well. When council members model respectful disagreement, it makes room for genuine debate without discouraging residents, especially those who are less experienced with public speaking, from participating.

An effective decorum policy should include:

  • Standards for respectful communication — both among council members and toward members of the public and staff, including during heated or contentious items.
  • Clear meeting procedures — rules of order for speaking, interrupting, and time limits, applied consistently regardless of who’s speaking.
  • Guidelines for public comment — protecting the public’s right to be heard while maintaining order, so meetings stay productive rather than becoming unmanageable.
  • A defined process for addressing violations — so that if a member or member of the public crosses a line, there’s a clear, fair, and consistently applied response.

Together, these two policies aren’t about restricting free and honest debate, they’re about making sure that debate happens on a foundation of trust, respect, and accountability. That’s what allows a council to actually get things done for the community it serves, rather than getting stuck in dysfunction or eroding the public’s confidence that their government is working in good faith.

Is there anything in your past that could come to the surface if elected?  If so, what is it? No.

Do you think a councilmember represents the City at all times, and why or why not? Yes, I believe a councilmember represents the City at all times. The moment you take that seat, you become a public figure whose words and actions reflect on the council and on South Lake Tahoe as a whole, whether you’re at a grocery store, a community event, or posting on social media.

This matters for a few reasons. First, trust in local government is built cumulatively, through countless small interactions, not just through formal votes. If a councilmember behaves one way in chambers and another way outside of them, that inconsistency erodes public confidence in everything the council does. People need to know that the person representing them is the same person in every setting, consistent, accountable, and thoughtful about how their conduct reflects on the community.

Second, residents don’t distinguish between a councilmember’s “official” capacity and their personal life the way the councilmember might. If I make a comment at a restaurant or write something publicly online, community members will reasonably connect that to my role on the council, regardless of whether I intended it as an “official” statement. That’s simply the reality of holding public office in a small community like ours, and shouldn’t be treated as an excuse for a lower standard of conduct.

Third, this responsibility extends to how councilmembers engage with residents informally. Some of the most important conversations happen outside of meetings at a public event or in passing. Councilmembers should welcome those moments as genuine opportunities to listen and represent the community’s interests, not treat them as “off the clock” time where a different standard applies.

That said, being a representative at all times doesn’t mean surrendering your individuality or personal life, it means holding yourself to a consistent standard of respect, honesty, and good judgment wherever you are. I think that’s exactly the kind of accountability our community should expect, and it’s the standard I intend to hold myself to if elected.

When council divides up the list of assignments for councilmembers, what boards would you want to sit on and why? South Lake Tahoe councilmembers are assigned to a wide range of regional boards and joint powers authorities including the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Tahoe Chamber, California Tahoe Conservancy, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Transportation District, Tahoe Prosperity Center, South Tahoe Transit JPA, South Tahoe Basin Waste Management Authority JPA, and El Dorado County LAFCO, among others. Given my background and priorities, a few stand out as natural fits.

Tahoe Chamber and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority are the most direct extension of work I’ve already been doing. I served on the Tahoe Chamber Board of Directors and Executive Committee from 2022 to 2024, and I also served on the Leadership Lake Tahoe taskforce, experience that gave me a deep, practical understanding of how our local business community operates, what challenges employers and workers actually face, and how tourism promotion and economic development decisions get made at the regional level. Combined with my ongoing work on the Arts, Culture and Tourism Commission, bringing in new art installations and directing microgrants to local artists, I understand how tourism, arts, and local business intersect in this city, and how important it is that visitor-driven revenue also supports the people who live and work here year-round, not just the industry itself. Sitting on these boards again as a councilmember would let me build directly on relationships and institutional knowledge I already have.

Tahoe Prosperity Center would let me focus directly on workforce and local business development, which is central to why I’m running. This board’s work on economic diversification and sustainable local jobs aligns closely with my commitment to representing our workforce and making sure South Lake Tahoe remains a place where people can actually afford to build a life, not just visit one.

California Tahoe Conservancy and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency matter to me because of my commitment to environmental stewardship. These bodies shape how we balance growth, accessibility, and preservation of the lake and surrounding ecosystem — issues I care about deeply, especially as they relate to educating both residents and visitors on coexisting responsibly with our environment and wildlife.

I’d approach any assignment the council gives me with the same commitment I’ve brought to the Arts, Culture and Tourism Commission: showing up prepared, collaborating in good faith, and making sure the decisions made on these regional bodies genuinely reflect what’s best for South Lake Tahoe’s residents. That said, I recognize board assignments are ultimately a council decision made collectively, and I’d bring the same work ethic and collaborative spirit to any seat I’m asked to fill.

What are the top concerns the council should be focusing on?  The biggest issue South Lake Tahoe currently faces is housing affordability and workforce housing supply. This isn’t a standalone problem; it’s the root cause behind so many of the challenges we talk about separately: chronic labor shortages for our local businesses, increased traffic and commuter congestion as workers are pushed further from town, and neighborhoods that lose vibrancy and continuity when the people who work here can’t afford to live here. If we don’t solve housing, we can’t fully solve the rest.

As a councilmember, I’d prioritize a few concrete actions. First, streamlining approvals for workforce and infill housing so that projects already aligned with our zoning and community goals move through the process faster, without unnecessary delays that drive up costs and discourage development. Second, partnering directly with employers and our tourism industry to expand deed-restricted units, so that housing built with local input actually stays affordable and available to the workforce it’s intended for, rather than converting to short-term rentals or second homes over time. Third, making sure the businesses that welcome our visitors, our hotels, restaurants, and outdoor recreation companies, have a stable, local workforce to draw from, because a business that can’t staff itself reliably can’t serve residents or visitors well.

I’d also prioritize supporting programs that make it financially feasible for homeowners to build Accessory Dwelling Units, since ADUs are one of the fastest, least disruptive ways to add housing stock without large-scale new development. Many residents want to build an ADU to house a family member, generate rental income, or provide long-term housing for a local worker, but the upfront costs of permitting, design, and construction put that out of reach for a lot of homeowners. A program that helps offset those costs, whether through grants, low-interest financing, or fee reductions, would make ADU construction realistic for more households, and each unit added this way directly increases our workforce housing supply. Alongside this, I’d continue supporting the city’s Long Term Rental Incentive program, which encourages property owners to commit units to long-term, local rentals rather than short-term vacation use. Programs like this are targeted, cost-effective ways to convert existing housing stock and new construction into stable homes for our workforce, without requiring the years-long timeline of large development projects. Together, ADU support and long-term rental incentives give homeowners real tools to be part of the housing solution, which is exactly the kind of practical, community-driven approach I think this issue demands.

Alongside housing, I’d invest seriously in sustainable tourism practices and visitor education, because our workforce and housing challenges are directly connected to how well we manage growth in the visitor economy. South Lake Tahoe depends on tourism, but unmanaged visitor growth puts pressure on the same infrastructure, environment, and community resources that a housed, stable workforce needs to thrive. I want to see us do more to help visitors understand the fragile alpine ecosystem they’re enjoying, how to safely coexist with wildlife, how to reduce their environmental footprint while they’re here, and why practices like staying on trails, properly storing food, and respecting sensitive habitats matter in a place like Tahoe. This kind of education can happen through partnerships with lodging properties, visitor centers, and organizations like the Tahoe Chamber and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, so the message reaches people before and during their visit, not after damage is done.

I also think sustainable tourism means being thoughtful about the pace and distribution of visitor growth, encouraging practices that spread visitor impact more evenly, support local businesses year-round rather than only during peak seasons, and reduce strain on the resources our residents depend on daily. Done well, this protects the very qualities that make South Lake Tahoe worth visiting in the first place.

Ultimately, a thriving, well-informed visitor economy and a housed, stable workforce go hand in hand. Solving housing affordability while investing in responsible, educated tourism isn’t two separate priorities, it’s one coherent strategy for building a South Lake Tahoe that works for the people who live here and remains a place worth sharing with the world.

What is the role of a city council on economic development? Do you think we should be attracting new types of businesses, and if so, what are they? The role of a city council in economic development is to set the conditions that allow a healthy, diverse local economy to grow, to remove barriers, invest wisely in infrastructure, and create policy that makes it easier for the right kinds of businesses to start, expand, or relocate here. That means being intentional about zoning and permitting so good projects aren’t stalled by unnecessary red tape, investing in the infrastructure businesses actually need, and using the city’s voice and partnerships, through organizations like the Tahoe Chamber and Tahoe Prosperity Center, to actively market South Lake Tahoe as a place where businesses can thrive. Ultimately, the council’s job is to think several steps ahead: what does our local economy look like in ten or twenty years, and are we making decisions today that build toward that, or just reacting to what’s in front of us.

Yes, I do think we should be actively working to attract new types of businesses. South Lake Tahoe’s economy has long been anchored in tourism, and tourism will always be central to who we are, but an economy that depends on a single seasonal industry is fragile. It leaves our workforce vulnerable to seasonal instability, makes local wages and housing costs harder to balance, and limits the kinds of careers people can build here long-term. Diversifying our economic base isn’t about moving away from tourism; it’s about building complementary industries that make the whole economy more resilient and give residents more stable, higher-paying career paths.

A few areas I think are worth pursuing:

  • Remote and hybrid work-friendly businesses. Tahoe’s quality of life is a genuine asset for attracting remote workers, small tech and professional services companies, and entrepreneurs who could base themselves here. This brings in income that isn’t tied to visitor spending.
  • Outdoor recreation and wellness-adjacent businesses. Beyond traditional tourism operators, there’s room for companies in outdoor gear, sustainable recreation technology, and health and wellness that fit naturally with our environment and could draw on a workforce that already loves the outdoor lifestyle here.
  • Sustainability and environmental services. Given our unique ecosystem and the amount of regional focus on lake clarity, wildfire resilience, and environmental restoration, there’s a real opportunity for businesses focused on environmental consulting, sustainable building practices, and green infrastructure, work that’s directly relevant to our community’s needs and values.
  • Education and workforce training. Attracting or expanding vocational and technical training programs, in partnership with local employers, would help us grow our own workforce rather than relying entirely on people moving here to fill jobs, which also gives our youth a real career pathway to build a future here.

The common thread in all of these is that they align with what already makes South Lake Tahoe distinctive: our environment, our outdoor culture, and our community values. Economic development done well doesn’t dilute a community’s character; it reinforces it while making that community more resilient for the people who call it home.

What are your favorite things to do in Tahoe? I’m so blessed to call Tahoe my home. I love to snowboard, bike, swim, camp, hike, walk my dogs, attend community events, visit beaches, bars, restaurants, enjoy live music and DJs, celebrate artists, drink wine, host events, and connect with other people in my community.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? I look forward to meeting residents I don’t know and to answer any questions, but mostly to listen. I feel I’m a great representative for our community, having lived and worked in South Lake Tahoe for more than 25 years. In most recent years have led the effort to better our youth and support our Tahoe families. I look forward to bringing my expertise to our City Council. Meet me for National Coffee Day on Tuesday, September 29th at Freebird on Ski Run from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30am and visit my website at electaimix.com to check out other events I’ll be hosting leading up to Election Day 2026.