EDC exploring idea of upping snow removal tax
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 24 directed staff to look into the possibility of raising the snow removal tax. This would affect people living on the south and west shores in the unincorporated areas of the county.
Today those on the South Shore pay $20 a year, on the West Shore it is $50 per developed parcel. This tax was approved in 1983.
Supervisor Sue Novasel, who represents Lake Tahoe, made the motion Feb. 24 for staff to look into the feasibility of a ballot measure for November 2016 as well as to explore all the funding options.
The money collected from the tax pays for equipment.
“The cost of a motor grader in 1983 was $60,000, today a motor grader is close to $400,000. That $20 you pay on the South Shore has not kept up,” Tom Halverson with the county transportation department told Lake Tahoe News.
Halverson said the county does not have a dollar amount set yet as to what the tax should be increased to.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
The last 3 years they’ve been getting free money!
The County – and City – should be 100% funding snow removal from existing taxes as a first priority, whatever it takes.
And instead, let voters cast their votes – yes or no – on the salaries and generous perks of the overpaid bureaucrats and other bloated, self-serving, and redundant expenditures.
These politicians just keep playing the same old game.
So they give themselves a raise and tax us. Way to go Sue Novasel. Just another disappointing politician.
And this entire snow season, the county boyz have been cruising around in pickup trucks, accomplishing little. This is shameful at this time, especially from Supervisor Novasel. I am extremely disappointed with this action.
While your argument is sound, your history of wasting money is hard to ignore. There hasn’t been a serious snow year for three years. Shouldn’t there have been savings because of that? The curbs that we were required to pay for in the 1970’s were completely destroyed by the graders in just a few years. I’m still angry about that. Our streets are crumbling and the crew is out trimming bushes. Of course you can’t pave in winter, but are the resources really being used appropriately? In my humble opinion, the only time the taxpayers have benefited from an additional tax was when we paid for gates on the graders to minimize the berms.
Please stop wasting our money and run government like you would run your household.
I wonder what the total collected now per year is? With a drought projected into the future this is not the time for snow removal tax increases. It is time for pay decreases for elected department heads as passed last year, these should be immediately reinstated. This is millions of dollars at stake over time.
You guys are kidding right.. How much do you pay a contractor to remove snow from your driveway every time it snows? This is peanuts…. And a great service… The county has amazing snow removal. When it’s needed it is appreciated. The last few winters have been pretty weak but we will have more huge ones in the future that will make us appreciate the excellent snow removal the county provides….
EDC looking into raising snow removal fees? I live withn the town boundaries, and because this is one of the lightest winters I’ve ever seen in all my years living on So. Shore I question the rate increase.
My street got plowed once this non winter year. Not enough snow to call for plowing or sanding. So the plows sat sitting parked. Now they want us to pay more? For new plows?
I say, put a big pile of money into road repair and overlay, rather than buying new graders that sit idle for long periods of time during this drought period.
I’m sure the usual suspects will be out to attack me but then that just comes with the territory. OLS
all of you people who are commenting on this are doing so without enough information to make judgement, we need to know how old the equipement is and what shape are they in now and how long will they last. if the $20 a year isnt enough to make sure the equipment fund is enough to cover purchasing new when the old ones when they go kaput. I am wonder if you will then complain in a normal snow year and the plows are so old they wo t work. I also live in the city so it wont matter to me.
I think that the snow removal fee is one of the best investments the City and County have ever done. The money is to replace worn out equipment, and can only be used for that purpose, It should be $50.00 per parcel and should have been for the last 30 years.
Best tax you will ever pay.
If you had a honda snowblower you paid $50 a year for you would consider that a great deal. This is for equipment to keep us driving safe on all roads and to have to the ability to move around when it’s needed most. If we didn’t have this we could not work and ski bums could not ski. What is the cost of you not getting to work for one day. I’m going to bet it’s greater than $50. This is a bargain….
I cant believe people are suggesting to plan snow removal infrastructure based on a drought year. Simply completely and deliberately clueless….
Now is not the time to be raising taxes/fees. The economy is not better and many citizens are suffering terribly. We just got an increase in our water rates, electricity, gas, Measure P just passed, Measure L that was suppose to sunset was continued, will be paying on Measure G for another 20 years. Have you notice that the price of a dozen eggs is $5.20? Why is it that government and the public utilities say they keep needing increases and aren’t making any cuts in their budgets to save the tax payers/customers money? The head of the Federal Reserve said there is no inflation. All any fool has to do is look at the sharp increase of food to realize there is inflation. Have you noticed the sharp increase recently in gasoline? Mrs. Novasel we didn’t elect you supervisor to raise our taxes/fees. How about begining your term looking for ways the County can make cuts to save the citizens of the county money.
Another forked tongue politician is seen.
We get to vote on this tax increase, right Sue?
Oh, so this tax increase only affects the “unincorporated” parts of the south and west shore. That part slipped by me on my first read thru the article. My bad!
So county residents get ready for another tax increase for new graders and employees. Brace yourself for the Meyers plan to develope that part of town with a string of retail shops and condos.
West shore, look out, we are headed your way! Logging, housing projects, new roadways and the destruction of your way of life!
The Borg are coming,(star trek), “you will be assimilated”. Pretty soon all of the lake will look like San Jose in the Sierras. OLS
The people who complain the loudest about paying more for dependable snow removal equipment will be the ones who complain the loudest when the current old and broken down equipment fails and they don’t get better than excellent service. At the current $20 per year tax amount people are paying $1.67 per month for roadway snow removal. I live in the County and would consider it a gift to pay $50 a year (or $4.17 per month) to ensure that my area has reliable equipment so I can have good roadway snow removal service. Geez…the current $20 tax was approved 32-years ago: a grader at that time cost $60,000 and that same equipment in 2015 cost almost $400,000. Give me a break–$50 is the cost of a couple cases of beer.
Another can’t win situation and a bunch of cheap whiners.
Why aren’t they directing staff to see how they can find money in the current budget for equipment upgrades? Wish when I need something I could just tell people to give me more money!