Placer County approves 2 questions for June ballot

Placer County Board of Supervisors approved two measures for the June ballot. One asks North Lake Tahoe area residents to renew the transient occupancy tax for the North Lake Tahoe area.

An additional 2 percent TOT is collected on rooms in the area. Since the increase was initially approved in 1996, funds that have been collected have been used for many infrastructure projects.

The TOT funds in North Lake Tahoe have been used for the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Development Master Plan. Since its approval, about $20 million has been used for capital project and for leveraging $164 million in federal, state and local funds. An additional $7 million has been used for improvements to transit systems. Some of the projects that have been funded in whole or part by the TOT include:

Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project;

Tahoe City Transit Center;

Area signage;

Beach, hiking and bicycling trail and park improvements;

Museums and education centers; and

Shoreline cleanup.

Placer County voters who live in the north Auburn, Ophir and Lone Star communities will have the opportunity in the June 5 presidential primary election to decide their level of fire and emergency medical service.

Should voters approve the increase to the special assessment, the fire district would be able to maintain current service levels at least through fiscal year 2020-21.

Both resolutions were approved by a four-fifths vote of the board. The TOT measure requires a simple majority vote for passage. The fire assessment measure requires a two-thirds majority by voters.