When I was elected to the South Lake Tahoe City Council in November 2020, COVID protocols were in place and council meetings were held via Zoom. I wasn’t in the same space with my colleagues until we had our official photographs taken in March 2021, outside in the airport parking lot.
Those first six months of meetings were difficult. Discussions didn’t flow as they do in person; should I raise my actual hand to speak or the hand emoji on the screen? How do I keep my cat from walking across my camera? (As public officials, we were to have our cameras on at all times.) And these minor, logistical issues were taking place in the broader context of trying to run a meeting of the city’s business during a global pandemic.
Then in-person meetings started, and everything clicked. Our discussions at the dais were thoughtful, respectful, and oriented toward moving forward with the best interests of our constituents. This is the most difficult responsibility of a councilmember: because our five seats are not elected by district, there are no distinct constituencies; everyone in the community is each member’s constituent, and priorities, needs, and best interests must be balanced. If you are a parent with more than one child, you know what I mean about how challenging this can be.
When the concept of the Citizens for Integrity in Government group was first discussed, I was immediately interested in participating because I believe that the approaches to governing that I describe above are no longer present on our city council, and I would like to see them return. The thoughtfulness and mutual respect that I felt during most of my term, and the resulting ability to collaborate on policy decisions, is visibly lacking among the current councilmembers. The ability to put aside special interests for the good of all members of this community is demonstrably absent in discussions by council.
The Citizens for Integrity in Government group is meeting with candidates who have submitted completed applications to run for the three open seats in November. We discuss with these candidates their answers to the questions we’ve developed, which focus on, as in the name, integrity, ethics, decorum, and character. We touch only lightly on policy issues. This group joins the South Tahoe Democratic Club, the Republican Women’s group, the Sunshine Club, the Tahoe Mountain News, South Tahoe Now, and others in considering and endorsing candidates who meet our expressed goal of understanding their role as servant leaders who put the best interests of the community above ego-driven grandstanding that doesn’t lead to solutions.
No one is perfect. My term was not. I made comments and decisions that I regret. But you know what I never did? I never demeaned a staff member, I never yelled at a community member making public comment, and I never fought, at the dais or anywhere else, with a fellow councilmember. However, I myself was yelled at and once followed menacingly out to my car. If you, like me, support a return to a more respectful South Lake Tahoe City Council, please follow the progress of the Citizens for Integrity in Government and vote in November.
-Cristi Creegan