Letter: The politics of VHRs in S. Lake Tahoe

To the community,

The recent election results in Palm Springs in support of vacation rentals and against the anti-VHR crowd should be the death nail to the hysteria brought to local governments. These selfish local activists have zero interest in the economic lives of their neighbors and the economic well being of the South Lake Tahoe community. 

Jim Morris

Where do we go from here? Do not support the re-election of the following members to the City Council? These members put the cap on vacation rentals and the $1,000 parking fines on the books against our property owners and tourist guests. These people do not deserve a single vote. They include former Mayor Austin Sass, leader of the anti-VHR group; Jason Collin, Sass’s lackey and ineffective council member; and Mayor Wendy David who relied on a flawed, city paid $75,000 study to impose Draconian regulations to property owners and guests. And lastly, Tom Davis who has been so ineffective in recusing himself from crucial VHR discussions and votes due to his minority interest in a property management company in South Lake Tahoe. 

Over 150 property owners are waiting for permits and trying to provide a preferred family accommodation for tourist visitors to South Lake Tahoe. The city is losing over 10 percent in tax or approximately $350,000 plus millions of dollars in sales tax and economic benefits to local businesses by not allowing owners to exercise private property rights.

The city’s own VHR statistics show that vacation renters are not the problem that was projected by selfish locals who didn’t want to hear a car door close or the sounds of the wheels of a suitcase on the sidewalk. Less than 20 percent of VHR complaints are verified by the police department who are responding within 10 minutes on average. Plus, the city has overstaffed its community service department by over 400 percent to 500 percent to investigate one to two incidents per day out of 1,400 vacation rentals citywide.  See VHR complaints. 

Please let your opinions be known to the good hard working residents of South Lake Tahoe and replace the City Council in November. Vote “no” against both ballots effecting vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe’s November election.  More to come on why the Sustainable Community Alliance is detrimental to the community.

Jim Morris, president of Lake Tahoe Accommodations