North Shore voters being asked to keep TOT rate in place

North Lake Tahoe’s Measure F is up for renewal on the June 5 ballot. If approved, it would retain the 2 percent transient occupancy tax that funds public improvement projects and services, such as beaches, bike trails and parks.

The 2 percent tax applied to hotel rooms was first approved by voters in 1996 and subsequently renewed in 2002.

About $30 million from this TOT has been invested in the community, with another $160 million able to be generated in matching local, state and federal funding.

Projects benefiting from the additional hotel tax include: Squaw Valley Community Park, North Tahoe Regional Park, Commons Beach, Tahoe Vista Recreation Area, as well as bike trails in Tahoe City, Midway Bridge to Squaw Valley and along the West Shore.

TOT dollars have also been used for the North Lake Tahoe Express Airport Shuttle, winter and summer free Night Rider Shuttles, seasonal traffic management programs, improved public bus service and a welcome center at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

To pass, Measure F requires a 50 percent plus one vote. The measure would expire in 2022.

North Lake Tahoe has a 10 percent TOT, 2 percent of which is for public improvement projects and services. It’s just the 2 percent that is up for renewal. The remaining 8 percent is what is collected by Placer County and does not require voter approval.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report