Letter: Local Elections Matter

With Americans firmly planted in red and blue camps, rarely coming together to talk about solving our shared problems, it’s easy to get disgruntled about the state of our politics. Elections at the national level have become largely spectator sports, with very few clear opportunities to participate meaningfully in government as intended – of, by, and for the people.

Instead, we are barraged with attacks ads, maligning mailers, and toxic posts, all designed to tear down the other side. On top of all that, voter intimidation tactics, rampant conspiratorial misinformation, and refusal to accept election results, place us in a perilous moment threatening the foundations of democracy.

Fortunately, there is an antidote: local government. Here, no number of derisive tweets will repair roads or put police officers and firefighters on the streets. The snow either gets plowed, or it doesn’t. Deficit financing is not an option.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council has five individuals with five very different perspectives and viewpoints, but we’ve been able to find common ground on key issues time and again. As I enter the midpoint of my four-year term, and on the eve of an election, I’m proud of what the City has accomplished together.

Highlights include:

- Stopped highway 50 from being re-routed through the heart of the predominately Filipino and Latino Rocky Point neighborhood near Stateline. Instead of paving the loop road, we’re entered negotiation for an affordable housing project, where five lanes of pavement were once slated

- Spent $6.5 million rehabilitating City roads. At this pace, the City will have spent more on road repair by the end of 2024 than the City spent in the 20 years prior to the passage of Measure S in 2020.

- Adopted one of the most ambitious renewable energy commitments of any municipal government in the country, with an intention to generate 100% of our electricity from local sources, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by 2030.

- With Measure S funds, sustained seven firefighters at Station 2, along with an updated communication system for police, fire, and public works, and a new computer-aided police and fire dispatch system.

- Deploying a free, on-demand micro transit pilot program, which had 32,000 riders in its first three months of operation.

- Substantially cut the City’s subsidy of the Airport – which has averaged about $600,000 per year – by transferring more economic responsibility to airport users.

- Passed one of the nation’s first bans on plastic water bottles under one gallon, to take effect on Earth Day, 2024.

- Broke ground on the Sugar Pine Village, affordable housing development at the Y, that will contain nearly 250 units -- the largest affordable residential development in South Lake Tahoe history.

- Hosted the inaugural Multicultural Celebration, which drew nearly 1000 people to Bijou Park for a day of celebrating Tahoe’s diverse communities through art, food, music, and culture.

- Partnering with the Lease to Locals program, which pays for homeowners to sign long-term leases, instead of using their properties for vacation rentals or seldom occupied second homes.

- Utilized a participatory budget process to garner input from nearly 1,000 south shore residents about how the City should spend $5.3 million in Covid recovery dollars (American Rescue Plan Act). The people’s choices, which were adopted down the line by Council, include $100,000 for arts funding (to be administered by the new Arts, Culture, and Tourism Commission), an extension of the Greenway bicycle trail through town, new fire hydrants, housing initiatives, and much more.

- Approved pilot traffic calming projects for the Lakeview (Al Tahoe) and Highland Woods Neighborhoods.

- Adopted new ordinances permitting the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units and mobile tiny homes, to provide additional, needed housing options.

- Provided $400,000 to 14 community-based organizations from cannabis revenue collected under the current development agreements.

- Developed a comprehensive, exciting Tahoe Valley Greenbelt and Stormwater Improvement project, that will include new bicycle and pedestrian path connections to the Y, public gathering spaces for public art, new community park improvements, and safety lighting.

- Established a Park Ranger program that hires young people to maintain public parks and beaches, and interact with visitors.

- Painted three rainbow crosswalks in celebration of Pride Month 2022.

All elections have consequences, and tomorrow’s election of new City Council candidates is no exception. New council members will have new ideas and priorities. Still, I’m hopeful that the new council will continue in a similar direction, in line with our strategic plan, and under the skillful leadership of City Manager Joe Irvin, City Attorney Heather Stroud, and their teams of passionate, innovative, smart, hard-working staff. I’d love to hear your ideas for what we should do next.

- John Friedrich is a member of the South Lake Tahoe City Council. He may be reached at jfriedrich@cityofslt.us