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Lodging tax increase to ballot; sheriff gets copter support Two ballot measures to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax by 2% on the West Slope and 4% in the Tahoe region will go to voters in the November 2022 election. The county-approved ballot measures and other General Fund policy and allocated spending changes came into conversation at the April 25 El Dorado County Board of Supervisors budget meeting. Transient Occupancy Tax discussions dominated the lengthy meeting — whether to increase it and how to allocate excess funds to support county entity’s projects. Transient Occupancy Tax, also known as the bed or lodging tax, is collected by the county when visitors stay for 30 days or less in any lodging facility, except campsites. The tax was established in 2004 and the revenue can be used for anything but mainly has been put toward tourism, economic development and veterans programs in the county. If the tax increase gets approved by voters in November, the Tahoe area would generate an additional $2.5 million and the West Slope of the county $340,000, according to staff. The countywide Transient Occupancy Tax rate is currently 10%, with the exception of South Lake Tahoe, where the tax rate is 12% in addition to $4-$5.50 per night. The cities of Placerville and South Lake Tahoe would not be affected PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
VOLUME 171 • ISSUE 51 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
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Seven-year-old Riley Romero of Placerville holds up the 21-inch trout he caught in the Placerville Fishing Derby April 23 at Lumsden Pond. Romero netted the biggest fish of the day. More than 30 youngsters cast their lures in the 35th derby sponsored by the Placerville Community Services Department, El Dorado County Fish and Game Commission and Placerville Kiwanis and Lions clubs.
by the increased tax rate should it pass, according to county Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez. Tiffany Schmidt with the county’s Chief
“… we want (a helicopter) able to carry enough water to be able to put out a fire when the need arises.” — John D’Agostini, El Dorado County sheriff
Administrative Office shared with the board that the projected revenue from the Transient Occupancy Tax funds will be more than $8.2 million in the 2021-22 fiscal year. The Tahoe area will bring in $6.4 million and the West Slope $1.8 million, according to Schmidt. Transient Occupancy Tax revenues have increased steadily since 2014, a year when the county received more than $2.7 million. “With the increase in the revenue came an increase in impacts, so there has been a change in the board’s philosophy to allocating those resources to focus on balancing the needs for tourism with the impacts on tourism, especially when it comes to public safety and impacts on roads,” Schmidt said. The Board of Supervisors, approving unanimously the ballot measures, emphasized the importance of a public campaign to ■
Photos by Cecilia Clark
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SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE A6 Isiah Means Sr. and Isiah Means Jr., 2, of Antelope reel in one of the fish they caught. The pond was stocked with about 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout.
See TAX, page A9
April showers improve water supplies Michael Raffety Mountain Democrat correspondent Operations Manager Dan Corcoran led off his discussion of water supplies with an April 25 photo of Pyramid Peak covered with snow. That photo was taken the morning of the board meeting of the El Dorado Irrigation District. Corcoran’s updates to his PowerPoint presentation note “recent weather pattern change sustaining runoff ” and that the district will “continue to meet carryover targets” for Jenkinson Lake. With 5.8 inches of Placerville area rainfall in April compared to the 144-year average of 3.44 inches,
Photo by John Poimiroo
See WATER SUPPLIES, page A7
Folsom Lake’s low shoreline has disappeared for the most part, pictured April 23, with water supplies there rising from 66% to 74% of capacity between April 18 and April 25.
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