Proponents of Vacancy Tax Initiative turn in signatures, now head to County for verification

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The proponents of the South Lake Tahoe Residential Vacancy Tax initiative filed their petition to make it on the November 2024 ballot today. The minimum number of signatures needed was ten percent of registered voters, or 1,159, and the group sponsoring the initiative turned in 2,471. City Clerk Susan Blankenship performed a prima facie review, or, an initial examination, to determine the number, and the signatures will be sent to the El Dorado County Elections Department for certification.

Elections will determine that at least 1,159 of those signatures belong to registered voters in the South Lake Tahoe city limits. Staff will check the signature with the name and address to ensure they match the voter registration files for the day the signature was obtained.

The elections code says the signatures can be subject to a random or full check, and they will be doing a full check on 100 percent of those submitted.

The Elections Department has 30 business days to certify the petition as being sufficient or insufficient.

If sufficient, the Vacancy Tax initiative will be on the ballot in November. Boters will be asked if they want $6,000 charges to all homeowners who do not occupy their homes at least six months of the year.