Opinion

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe is home to several incredible youth-building programs, each with its own unique culture and contribution to our children. Inversion Gym sets its tone with an industrial setting filled with skilled and heartfelt coaches, and smiling children who might be inverted or air-bound at first glance. The team at Inversion has encouraged a mindset of excellence while simultaneously achieving a lighthearted and fun frame of mind. The result empowers the athletes to believe in themselves, overcome difficulty, and have a “home away from home” in a sense.

Beneath the streets we walk every day, an invisible network of pipes carries the lifeblood of our community. Much like these hidden conduits, the race for the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) Board of Directors has operated largely out of sight, overshadowed by the Measure N and City Council contests. This race should not be relegated to the darkness that lurks beneath our roads.

South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates were recently given the opportunity to answer some questions to be published on South Tahoe Now. Candidate Aimi Xistra said hers was never sent and she found it in her "drafts." We are publishing her answers.

Name: Aimi Xistra, Director of Development, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. She has been living in South Lake Tahoe for almost 30 years - since 1997. The beautiful mountains and lake, lots of snow, opportunity, and fun community brought her to Tahoe.

Why are you running for City Council and what are your qualifications?

Around this time each year, people start getting anxious for the first snowfall. There’s a sense of anticipation humming just below the surface of every conversation and every weather report. You may find yourself staring longingly at your skis or board that has sat dormant since last spring. It’s an anxious, excited feeling – a good one.

But there’s also a different, more foreboding type of anxiousness we all deal with. It starts in early summer and only fades away when the snow falls.

I am proud to call South Lake Tahoe my home—a place where I was raised, a community that shaped who I am, and the place where I have chosen to raise my own family. After leaving for college, I always knew I would return, drawn by the unique beauty and spirit of this community. Now, as both a long-time local and a parent, I am excited at the prospect of giving back to the place that has given me so much by serving as a Board Director for the South Tahoe Public Utility District.

Tahoe forests are currently glowing with vibrant fall colors even as smoke lingers above the lake from prescribed fire operations. The traits of a healthy forest are integral to the way we experience this incredible place. They are also fundamental to the overall health of the watershed, the safety of our communities, and our region’s resilience to climate change.

Dear Editor; Seems like many people are overlooking the main reason to vote against Measure N, the “Vacancy Tax”. The truth is that it is totally unnecessary. It is a poorly conceived plan to solve a problem that is already being very successfully dealt with through many prior years of

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Chamber has a long history of developing and offering election endorsements to those candidates for local office whose approach, demeanor, and values most closely match our
mission and values as a bi-state community-based business organization. This year, the chamber board of directors also endorsed a No vote on Measure N, the so-called South Lake Tahoe “vacancy tax” and a Yes vote on Measure U, the proposed Lake Tahoe Unified School District school facilities improvement bond.

No on Measure N - The South Tahoe “Vacancy Tax”

In an op-ed I wrote in August entitled "The HOA no one signed up for”, I said, "would-be developers at Homewood, Crystal Bay, and South Lake Tahoe are learning similar expensive lessons with multi-decade approval processes.” Those words turned out to be somewhat prophetic, as the Biltmore is headed for foreclosure auction and Homewood recently announced they wouldn’t be opening at all this season.

Dear Editor; Our community deserves a judge with applicable legal and courtroom experience to ensure its safety, as well as the rights of litigants and crime victims.

In 2023, I and two other applicants, including my current election opponent, provided detailed applications and lengthy public interviews with the Douglas County Commissioners to be appointed Tahoe Township Justice of the Peace. The Commissioners unanimously selected me as the most qualified applicant.

Dear Editor, I support David Jinkens and want to emphasize his invaluable contributions to the South Lake Tahoe community and his experience as city manager. David is an excellent choice as a potential city council member. Although I no longer reside in South Lake Tahoe after 55 years, I maintain property ownership and have family and friends living there. David Jinkens would make an excellent city council member for South Lake Tahoe.

I hope you vote for David Jinkens. He will work hard for you to improve the quality of life in the city of South Lake Tahoe.

Dear Editor, I have known Dave Jinkens for many years. I was on the City Council when he was originally hired as our city manager. He truly cares about our community and the City Of South Lake Tahoe. He does his homework and provides workable answers. He’s exceptionally good at multitasking.

I look forward to his election on our South Lake Tahoe City Council. Vote for Dave Jinkens this November.

Thank you.
Tom Davis

I would vote for David Jinkens if I could. The choice is clear as a 52-year resident, father of two, business owner for 40 years, former STPUD director (89to93), and an involved citizen. In 2007 the world was going through a great recession, so things were beyond the reach of the city council and city manager. I don't know about Rachel C. (in an opinion piece on Wednesday) but I went through eminent domain in 1989 and I wish David Jinkens was the city manager then.

I could use all the noun modifiers in the dictionary to describe Dave, but he is the best choice for the city council.

When considering your vote on Measure U, please remember how we benefit from Proposition 13. What does the 1978 California property tax limitation law have to do with our local school facility bond measure? Prop 13 keeps our taxes lower by limiting residential property tax assessment to one percent of the actual purchase price and then keeping annual tax increases at two percent per year after that. Our local property taxes on average are much lower than other states around the country.

Douglas County Citizens, It has become increasingly obvious that Trustee Doug Englekirk is no longer a person we can trust to carry out the business of the Douglas County School District (DCSD.) Not because of his beliefs or ideas on what he thinks is best for our kids, but because by his own admission at recent debates and legal proceedings, he simply doesn’t have the time that is required of a trustee to perform the business of the DCSD.

At the September 24, 2024, City Council meeting, I was surprised to hear Councilmember Scott Robbins take a social media comment I made out of context to push his political agenda. This incident is emblematic of his ongoing efforts to mislead the community for personal gain, a tactic frequently supported by the South Lake Tahoe Democratic Club. His misappropriation of my words is just one example of how he distorts facts to advance his agenda.

As Barton Health plans for the future of healthcare in South Shore, our patients remain our top priority. By expanding healthcare services on two campuses, South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, we’ll provide more services to meet your needs. And a new hospital ensures you receive excellent health care with a larger emergency department, upgraded operating rooms, modern medical equipment, and the latest in healing design.

I'm considering petitioning to rename my road "Diana Ave". For three full blocks, I am one of only two occupied houses on my street, and the only homeowner. When I sit on the front porch of my charming little A-frame, most of the people who wave at me are either visitors or bears. That’s why I’m a vocal proponent for Yes on Measure N; I am a local who wants vibrant neighborhoods and affordable housing. 

To The Editor: Some people around town ask why the Realtor Associations are so involved in the "No on N" campaign. At first blush, it might appear the effort is self-serving, and that's the distortion the "Yes on N" proponents are promoting.

But when you dig a little deeper, that allegation could not be further from the truth. If Measure N passes, the Realtor community will benefit greatly.

I've been vocal in my opposition to many of the tax measures that have come before our community over the last year, including the proposed property transfer tax, the TOT tax increase, the minimum wage increase and several others. I oppose Measure N, believing it is poorly written and will do little but increase the inefficiency that haunts our local government. However, when it comes to Measure U, the school bond initiative for Lake Tahoe Unified School District, I find myself in an uncharacteristic position: advocating for its passage.

Founded in 1963, Barton Health has been the region’s leading health partner for over 60 years — proudly providing bi-state medical services for the whole community.

And as a bi-state community, residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe’s south shore have long experienced life across both sides of the state line — from ski resorts and beaches to shopping and appointments — we are one community in two states.

Jessica Morse, running for our CD-3 Representative for US Congress, is eager to debate our current Congressman Kevin Kiley---- anywhere and any time.

Representative Kevin Kiley, however, has declined the invitation to a candidates' forum sponsored by the venerable League of Women Voters of five counties (Nevada, El Dorado, Placer, Plumas, and Sacramento), which represents 350,000 people.

To Editor: My term as South Tahoe Public Utility District's (STPUD) board president ends in December, so I wanted to offer up a few thoughts on my way out the door. I was elected to the board in 2000 by the choice of just under 7,000 local voters, and have done my best to represent your interests over the last 4 years. The choice to not run for re-election was a difficult one, but it was a personal choice. There are some very good candidates to replace me; I’ll get to that in a minute.

Sadly, Kelly Bessem is correct when she writes in her recent op-ed: "Lately, the divisiveness that surrounds the Vacancy Tax has gone far beyond standard disagreement and turned into personal attacks."

We CAN get along better than this. We may disagree, but we're all neighbors here in beautiful Tahoe. Yet the vitriol continues.

For this, in large part, I blame the Vacancy Tax Ordinance itself. It has become a truly divisive issue.