By Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe Unified and Lake Tahoe Community College might share a board member.

This is because Michael Bischoff is running for both boards in the November election. The 59-year-old believes his four years on the Dublin Unified School District board and a desire to give back to his community are reasons he would be successful on both boards.

While he has not attended a meeting of either board, he has spoken with administrators.

“I think a fresh set of eyes and ears might be helpful. I’m not politically connected and do not have a political agenda. I just wish to give back to the community,” Bischoff said.

He has lived here a little more than a year, but has been coming to the South Shore for a quarter century.

What Bischoff neglected to share this week in an interview with Lake Tahoe News is some of the controversy he got into while serving on the East Bay district’s board that made numerous headlines.

His two drunken driving arrests led his colleagues to request he not attend graduation in 1999. The board censured him in 1998 for his actions regarding a petition and the state budget. Also that year he did not heed requests to step down from the board after it was discovered he ran personal errands while driving students on field trips.

Bischoff was on that board from 1996-2000.

In 2002 he ran for the Alameda County Board of Education. He lost with 22.7 percent of the vote in a two-person race. At that time his occupation was listed as certified professional estimator.

For the Tahoe election, Bischoff lists student as his occupation. He is taking classes at LTCC.

Asked why not run for only one position, Bischoff said, “My chances are that much better to get elected. I have two shots instead of one.”

El Dorado County elections personnel said it’s legal for him to run for both seats. It is up to the school boards to set policy that prevents any conflicts.

One problem Bischoff would face if elected to both is the boards usually meet at the same time on the same Tuesdays. Some boards have attendance requirements as well as conflict of interest policies.

No one besides Bischoff has filed to challenge the incumbents who are all running for both boards. That would be Fritz Wenck and Karen Borges for LTCC; and Sue Novasel, Larry Green and Mike Doyle for LTUSD.

Other races for Nov. 8:

• Dale Rise as of Aug. 9 remained unchallenged for his seat on the South Tahoe Public Utility District board.

• Four people are vying for the STPUD seat being vacated by Marylou Mosbacher. They are retired district employee Claude Gunsch, homemaker Mary Kortge, business owner John Runnels, and engineer Randy Vogelgesang.

• Candidates have until Aug. 12 at 5pm to file. If the incumbent fails to file, the deadline is extended to Aug. 17.