Letter: Shocking result for South Lake Tahoe

The following was sent to South Tahoe Now early Wednesday morning as the second set of results were posted:

It is just after 2 AM and I just checked the election results. I am honestly in shock! It appears the Measure T people were successful in their efforts despite nearly $400,000 spent to defeat our local measure. With a difference of 113 votes, there is sure to be a recount effort and lawyers to follow so the outcome is not a given. We can only congratulate this Grass Roots effort that was done on a shoe string to have done the seemingly impossible, change the political landscape of our small town.

Add to this surprise is seeing three new faces elected to our City Council:

Devin Middlebrook, Cody Bass and Tami Wallace appear to have won their seats. The City of South Lake Tahoe will see new faces and a voter approved fundamental change in our neighborhoods.

South Lake Tahoe is a different town with new leaders being introduced and a huge upset to the local business community who are not accustomed to such change bringing brought forward by residents.

We must ask that those who opposed Measure T, assuming these results stand, to do the very thing they expected the opposition to do had they won, work to find a middle ground in implementing these changes. There is a place for VHRs in our town and we have time to find that balance. Measure T is not a ban and has real potential to be used to leverage zoning to assist in redeveloping neighborhoods.

We must have the discussion as to where VHRs fit in our community because they are not going away. We must make change into an opportunity, even for those we disagree with. They say all is darkest before the light and I hope all remember this and step away from the sea of rhetoric that has been thrown at our town. As the morning light enters your window, remember that we are still neighbors and need to work together, even where we disagree.

We are in this together, it is our town.

-Scott Ramirez