By Kathryn Reed

Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District may finally have an elected board instead of one appointed by sitting members.

Four of the five seats are supposed to be elected, with the fifth being appointed by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors. The District 5 supervisor usually fills that seat.

Four seats will be open on the Nov. 3 ballot. The terms of Judy Clot and Pete Nelligan are expiring. Those are for four-year terms. The other two seats are for terms that expire Dec. 1, 2017. Joe Cardinale and Victor Babbitt are in those seats.

People living within the boundaries of the district are eligible to run. The deadline to file is Aug. 7 at 5pm. To date no one has filed. If the candidates run unopposed, there will be no election and they will be sworn in. And if fewer than three apply, then the board may appointment people.

The county election’s department with last November’s contest started a program designed to help applicants with the process.

“They come in and get a packet, we go over each page they need to complete and do their declaration of candidacy,” Kim Smith with county elections told Lake Tahoe News.

The idea is to make running for office not seem so daunting. People in Tahoe are encouraged to use the local recorder’s office instead of driving to Placerville. While November was the pilot of the new process, the county intends to offer this service to all candidates going forward. It is not mandatory, though.

For more information or for TPRID board candidates to schedule an appointment, contact Smith at 530-621-7490 or kim.smith@edcgov.us.