Gov

South Lake Tahoe City Council Places Local Cannabis Tax Measure On November Ballot

Cris Alarcon, News@InEDC.com

(PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA) July 29, 2022 — The South Lake Tahoe City Council voted on July 7 to place the South Lake Tahoe Cannabis Funding/Taxation Measure on the November 2022 ballot by a 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Bass recusing himself.

If approved by voters, the measure would enact an administrative conversion to the collection of cannabis payments to the city from a development fee to a comparable 6% gross receipts tax, without impacting any other cannabis regulation currently in effect. This conversion would streamline the tax collection process to reduce the administrative burden on City staff and local businesses.

“The City’s cannabis regulations have been working and this measure will continue them” said City Manager Joe Irvin. “Several cannabis businesses have been operating legally in South Lake Tahoe for nearly two years and have not attracted crime. Meanwhile, the businesses have generated funding for the local economy and grants for local non-profit organizations.”

The measure was placed on the ballot following stakeholder engagement as part of an effort by the City to streamline government processes to help keep the City fiscally sound and able to meet the basic service needs of residents and local businesses.

“This measure will maintain approximately a million dollars per year in local funding that can be used for general city expenditures such as maintaining essential emergency response, wildfire prevention, and snow removal services, while continuing to fund non-profit community benefit grants.” continued Irvin. “This conversion will also ensure that visitors to South Lake Tahoe who purchase cannabis products pay their fair share of the services they use while here.”

The measure includes strict fiscal accountability provisions, including public disclosure of all spending and annual independent financial audits which will be available online. No funds can be taken by the county, state, or federal governments.

For more information and to view the arguments for and against the ballot measure, visit: https://www.cityofslt.us/Elections.