Letter: New council needs to address housing, roads, cell service and more

I first arrived in South Lake Tahoe in June 1991 about 6 weeks after college graduation. In 1991, Tahoe had the most amazing roads; now, Tahoe has the worst roads. North Dakota – a very low tax state – just might have the best roads in the whole country. In 1991, there were many places to rent in Tahoe at affordable prices; now, too many people who work in South Lake Tahoe need to commute from the Carson Valley, unnecessarily increasing their carbon footprint. South Lake Tahoe is surrounded by the Eldorado National Forest which consists of 932.38 square miles providing countless recreational opportunities. However, the City desires to create a greenway on city-owned land that should be developed into multiple-family housing. This land should be sold to reduce our significant housing shortage and provide strong annual tax revenues to the City; additionally, the City of South Lake Tahoe would receive substantial revenues from the sale of various land parcels. Have you ever tried to make a mobile phone call from Gardner Mountain? There is no mobile service! Romania has a better mobile phone system than Tahoe! While that convenience is not under the jurisdiction of the City Council, public safety is. Public safety is significantly compromised with the inability to call police, fire or an ambulance in an emergency situation. These items are only a sampling of a plethora of reasons why the entire City Council must be voted out of office, but I’m only allotted so many words.

There are three City Council positions up for election on Tuesday, November 6. Who will receive my vote? Bruce Grego and Tamara Wallace. Why? Simple, it is time for effective leadership. Who will receive my third vote? It will depend on which candidate contacts me and impresses me the most.

- Todd J. McIntyre