Tahoe Chamber hosts community forum for South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates

Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce (Tahoe Chamber) is hosting a candidate forum on October 4 for candidates running for South Lake Tahoe City Council. Three City Council member seats are up for election, which includes those held by incumbents, and candidates, Wendy David, Tom Davis and Austin Sass. All nine candidates are confirmed to attend.

The forum will be held in the Lake Tahoe Community College Board Room from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Each will provide opening and closing remarks, as well as answers to moderator and community questions at this public event. Tahoe Chamber requests community questions be emailed in advance of the forum by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1 to info@tahoechamber.org. Attendees will also have the opportunity to present written questions during the forum.

The City Council consists of five South Lake Tahoe residents, each elected to a four-year term by residents of the City. They make policy decisions for South Lake Tahoe about affordable housing solutions, vacation home rentals and cannabis regulations among hundreds of others each year. The three individuals elected in November will join councilmembers Brooke Laine and Jason Collin whose terms end in 2020.

City of South Lake Tahoe residents are encouraged to attend this open event prior to the November election to best determine which three candidates will be their choice for City Council, but the forum is open to all interested persons. The California deadline to register to vote in the 2018 election is 11:59 p.m. PT, Oct. 22. Register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov.

Nine total candidates will vie for three open City Council seats. The Chamber provided these introductions:

Cody Bass is the Tahoe Wellness Cooperative executive director. This is his first time running for office.

Hal Cole is a former City Councilmember who was elected to serve on the council five times. He did not run for re-election in 2016.

Wendy David, the current City of South Lake Tahoe Mayor, has served on the City Council since 2016.

Tom Davis is the current City of South Lake Tahoe Mayor Pro Tem and has served on the City Council for four terms.

Bruce Grego is a former City Councilmember who served from 2008 through 2012. He is a local attorney.

Patrick Jarrett previously ran for City Council in 2016 and returns to the ballot in 2018.

Devin Middlebrook is the sustainability program coordinator for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. This is his first time running for office.

Austin Sass was elected to the City Council in 2016 and previously served on the South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission.

Tamara Wallace is the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce executive director. She previously ran for City Council in 2016 and finished third behind Jason Collin.

The forum will be streamed live on the Tahoe Chamber website at www.tahoechamber.org and the Tahoe Chamber Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeChamber via Lake Tahoe Television.

For questions, contact Tahoe Chamber at 775-588-1728 or info@tahoechamber.org.