Our first round of California election endorsements
Tahoe Chamber | September 26, 2018 | Chamber News • Monthly CEO Message • Press Releases
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By Steve Teshara, Tahoe Chamber CEO
There’s a lot at stake this election season. Will your business or job be negatively affected? The Tahoe Chamber Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is leading our work to vet candidates for local office and conduct an in-depth examination of key ballot measures that could directly impact our businesses and our community.
November’s ballot will be long and the ramifications many. In a community where 100 votes can decide any election, we all need to participate in the democratic process. Be a part of shaping both the immediate and long-term future of the South Shore by getting out to vote
Join the Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Future and the local business community in voting for a better place to live, work and play on November 6, 2018.
NO on Measure T – City of South Lake Tahoe
Tahoe Chamber is opposed to Measure T, the proposed ban on most vacation rentals in the City. The ban will trigger an estimated $100 million decrease in visitor spending, with an annual direct hit of $3 million to the City’s budget in transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenues alone. This hit will translate to a reduction in the City’s workforce – the people you and I know who provide vital city services, such as law enforcement, fire, and snow removal. Faced with a loss in revenue, many businesses will have little choice but to reduce the number of jobs they support.
Lake Tahoe has always been a welcoming destination for travelers. Most of us here today came first as a visitor. We recognize there have been impacts from VHR abuses. Data shows, however, that since the City Council adopted tighter regulations and stepped up enforcement last December, abuses and complaints are down significantly. Enforcement is the key, not a ban that takes such an economic and human toll.
To help us all understand the consequences of Measure T, we have worked with our campaign colleagues to establish a NO on T speakers bureau. If you would like one of us to address your business to explain how and why Measure T puts our economy and community at imminent risk, please contact me at 775-588-1728, extension 301 or steve@tahoechamber.org.
You can learn more and meet others working on the NO campaign at a special community meeting this evening, September 26, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at the Beach Retreat & Lodge Conference Center, 3411 Lake Tahoe Boulevard.
For more information, click on www.savetahoejobs.org/communitymeeting or visit SaveTahoeJobs.org. Make no mistake, this is a clarion call to action!
YES on Measure J – El Dorado County
The passage of Measure J will provide additional funds for important community services through the hotel, motel and vacation home rental fees paid for by visitors who stay overnight in El Dorado County. Specifically, Measure J will increase the lodging tax (aka TOT) in unincorporated El Dorado County from 10% to 12%. The current rate of 10% is below that of surrounding jurisdictions, including the City of South Lake Tahoe.
Measure J funds will help support various county services, including law enforcement and public safety, health services, county parks and recreation, and others used by both residents and visitors. TOT is the primary source of funding for grants to groups that help our county’s veterans. The passage of Measure J will benefit all of us, supporting economic vitality and sustaining leisure services by promoting El Dorado County’s wineries, farm trails, campgrounds, historic sites, and other unique attractions.
NO on California Proposition 6
Prop 6 would eliminate funding for more than 6,500 bridge and road safety, transportation, and public transit improvement projects currently underway throughout California. These projects are in every California community, including here in South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County. Tahoe Chamber has joined with the California Chamber of Commerce, businesses, and organizations throughout the state to oppose Prop 6 because it would eliminate an estimated 68,000 jobs and $183 billion in economic investments as thousands of road construction projects are halted. Prop 6 would also eliminate the power of our state legislature to ensure ongoing investments in our crumbling transportation infrastructure without another statewide vote. Prop 6 is the wrong approach to public policy and transportation improvements that are long past due. Vote NO on Proposition 6.
For more information and to join the coalition opposed to Prop 6, visit noprop6.com