By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Mammoth no longer have to worry about coming up with additional money to pay for snow removal.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed AB2704 – a bill introduced by Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, to protect snow removal funding for these jurisdictions.

Millions of dollars in the gas tax had been threatened to be taken from these mountain towns by the Legislature and governor.

South Lake Tahoe receives approximately $1.2 million annually from the gas tax. Of this amount, approximately $700,000 a year is for snow removal.

As recently as July 7, Mayor Kathay Lovell sent a letter to Schwarzenegger pleading the city’s case for the Highway User Tax Account to not be raided. This money is for local street and road maintenance for all California cities, plus snow removal for mountain areas.

During last year’s budget negotiations these dollars were threatened. Gaines introduced the legislation to remove the threat from future budget cycles – like the one the state is currently mired in.