The Tahoe side of Douglas County not only lacks a full-time lake resident to serve on the Board of County Commissioners, but now it no longer has a planning commissioner either.
On Jan. 3 the Douglas County Board of Commissioners yanked three members from its planning commission including Lawrence Howell of Stateline.
Howell ran unsuccessfully against Nancy McDermid for the County Commission seat in November. Howell has publicly stated that his removal was likely retribution for him running against her. Concerned citizens are urged to attend today's meeting of the Douglas County Commission, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Tahoe Transportation Center, 169 Highway 50, Stateline.
In a 4 to 1 vote, the commission also removed Bob Conner and Rick Ross, replacing the commission with Don Miner, Jeremy Davidson and
Frank Godecke. All three are full time Carson Valley residents as is McDermid.
The lake side of the county brings in about 40 percent of the county's tax revenue. The District 4 seat encompasses the lake, Foothill Road and north Douglas County in the valley.
Here is a youtube clip of that meeting that some now argue clearly shows the politics behind the removal.
"I think the most important issue here is that I understand small town politics and was not planning on re-applying on the planning commission job until I was asked by the current county commissioners to apply because they said they needed me there," Howell told the Tahoe Mountain News and Carson Now. "So when the same county commissioners voted against my reappointment, I lost trust in the county commission and Tahoe lost representation.
"I say this not being a county commissioner nor a planning commissioner but as a constituent. Lake Tahoe needs representation."
A number of Valley and Lake Tahoe residents have expressed dismay at what happened to all three of its commissioners in the Record-Courier newspaper. Click here, and here and again here to read the stories.
The Douglas County Commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Tahoe Transportation Center, 169 Highway 50, Stateline.