The County Is Dying

El Dorado County is on life support. The population is not growing. In fact, it’s dwindling. Young families are not moving here, and the ones who do often leave within a few years. School enrollment is down. Small businesses are struggling to stay afloat under layers of permits, harassment, and inflated fees. The cost of living continues to rise while basic services decline. Roads go unrepaired. Fire prevention is more talk than action. Code enforcement targets working people while ignoring real safety threats.

The county is running a deficit. Tax revenues are falling. The Board of Supervisors has no real plan to fix it. Instead of supporting freedom, innovation, and economic revitalization, they double down on bureaucracy. This is a county that punishes productivity and rewards compliance. And it’s failing.

The Corruption

Corruption here doesn’t always wear a badge or carry a briefcase. Sometimes it looks like silence. Sometimes it looks like selective enforcement. And sometimes it looks like the South Lake Tahoe mayor being caught up in a financial misconduct scandal while the entire county government turns a blind eye.

From code enforcement officers trespassing without warrants to zoning decisions that mysteriously benefit certain friends of the county, the pattern is clear. The rules aren’t applied fairly. The laws aren’t enforced evenly. There is one standard for insiders and another for everyone else.

The story of Tamara Wallace is not just about one mayor. It’s about the entire culture of silence and cover-up that defines local politics in El Dorado County. The mayor was terminated from her role at a local church for financial mismanagement. The church referred the matter to law enforcement. And yet—not one elected official has called for her resignation.

Where is the accountability? Where is the courage?

The Silence of the Board of Supervisors

The five members of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors have remained completely silent. Not one of them has issued a statement. Not one has acknowledged the public scandal. Not one has defended the public’s right to honest leadership.

This is not a South Lake Tahoe issue. This is a county-wide issue. When someone in public office betrays the public trust, every leader has a duty to speak up. Their silence is complicity.

It’s not about party. It’s not about personality. It’s about integrity.

When local officials are afraid to even speak, the people must.

What Happens If Nothing Changes?

If the people of El Dorado County do nothing, then nothing will change. The corruption will get deeper. The exodus of young families and businesses will accelerate. The tax base will collapse. The only people left will be those too tied to the system to leave, or too poor to escape it.

We will become a ghost county run by career bureaucrats and political cowards.

But we still have a choice. We can call out the silence. We can name the corruption. We can shine a light where they would prefer darkness. And we can hold our local government accountable—not just at the ballot box, but right now, every day, until they are forced to respond.

Call to Action

If you care about your community, then speak up.

Call your Supervisor. Email them. Demand a public statement calling for Tamara Wallace to resign. Remind them that they work for the people, not for each other.

This isn’t just about one scandal. It’s about what kind of county we want to live in.

And whether it’s even worth staying at all.

Contact Your Supervisors Directly

📧 District 1 – Greg Ferrero
Greg.Ferrero@edcgov.us
📞 (530) 621-5650

📧 District 2 – George Turnboo (Chair)
george.turnboo@edcgov.us
📞 (530) 621-5651

📧 District 3 – Brian Veerkamp
Brian.Veerkamp@edcgov.us
📞 (530) 621-5652

📧 District 4 – Lori Parlin
lori.parlin@edcgov.us
📞 (530) 621-6513

📧 District 5 – Brooke Laine (Vice Chair)
brooke.laine@edcgov.us
📞 (530) 621-5319

Let them know the silence is unacceptable. Let them know we expect action.

-Greg Hansen