What is municipal incorporation? 

Municipal incorporation is a process whereby a local government (city or town) is established by the people of a community to provide local decision-making and deliver certain public services. Here in eastern county, these services are provided through County government, governed by the Board of Supervisors. Examples of a mix of local/county services would be the cities of Auburn and Colfax. They are both municipally incorporated within Placer County District 5. Each has a five-member locally-elected city council, providing certain local services to their residents while the County continues to provide other services that the cities do not provide. 

What are the main reasons for considering the creation of a Town in the North Tahoe area of eastern Placer County?

There are two primary reasons, both of which are about enhancing local governance and control.

First, counties are typically not set up to provide community-level services that municipal governments provide. For instance, programs that support transit, parking, recreation and tourism management are not typically provided by a County government, yet these are challenges we face in our community. This is due to our national significance and tourism-focused economy. These unique challenges require services that are more consistent with what a town/city government is established to do.

Next, a town would create a structure in which local people could make decisions about local issues. With a Town government, we would have five locally elected officials, each living in our community. The Truckee community of eastern Nevada successfully created a town some 30 years ago. The Town of Truckee continues to collaborate on many fronts with Nevada County, but local decision-making has been a key to Truckee’s ability to leverage its voice with the County as well as with the State government and other agencies at the local, state, regional, and federal level.

Why explore this opportunity now?

The population of our North Tahoe area continues to decline as a percentage of the total population of Supervisorial District 5. As of 2020, eastern Placer’s population was 15% of the total District 5 population of approximately 80,000. As significant growth continues in the western part of the County, we can expect census results will push the boundaries of District 5 further to the west. This will continue increasing the focus of County resources and decision-making on the western part of the County and further diminish the influence of voters who live in Eastern Placer County. 

Today, the North Tahoe area has one Supervisor (who lives locally) out of a five-member Board of Supervisors. But as the majority of the voters in District 5 continues to grow in the western part of the District, it becomes increasingly likely the next District 5 Supervisor will be a resident of the Auburn area, where the largest block of voters reside. Once that happens, it is extremely unlikely that any future District 5 Supervisor will ever be a resident of North Tahoe. In that case, all decision-making will be conducted by a governing body with no direct connection to our community. 

What are the proposed boundaries of the new town?

The preliminary boundaries include all the area of Placer County east of Donner Summit excepting Serene Lakes and Donner Lake, and the backcountry areas currently designated as State Responsibility Areas (SRA) for wildfire protection.

The geographic spread of the proposed town is huge. How will the town efficiently operate services and make it feel like a town?

That’s to be determined, of course, but the Town of Truckee also covers a large area and provides effective services.

What is the population of the proposed new Town?

New Town population: Estimated 13,387

Total District 5 population (includes Auburn): 81,000

Comparison: Town of Truckee close to 17,000

Tahoe City: 2,644

Kings Beach 2,589

West Shore: 2,290

Olympic Valley: 823

Alpine: 500

Northstar: 298

Other areas with the proposed town boundary: 4,243

What municipal services would the Town provide?

• General local government – the Town Council and Town Administration, including Town Manager and Town Attorney
• Zoning, Land Planning, and Permitting
• Public Works/Engineering, Stormwater management, snow removal and road maintenance
• Law Enforcement (likely through contract with County)
• Public Transit (could be through a contract with County)
• Animal Control/Services (could be through contract with County) 
• Library (could be through contract with County)
• Services provided through Franchise Agreements with private providers: Examples: Trash Collection and Recycling

Note: Services provided by existing special district would remain. These include fire protection, emergency medical, water and wastewater, parks and recreation

What services would Placer County continue to provide?

• Health and Human Services

• District Attorney and Court

• Services provided under contract with the Town

What are the tax implications for homeowners and business owners?

There would be no direct tax implications to homeowners as a result of the incorporation of the Town. Any change in the local tax structure would be up to a future Town Council and local ballot measure. 

What are potential impacts to emergency preparedness/fire protection. Will it be safer?

There is no reason to expect any change in public safety services. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office will likely continue to provide services under contract with the Town unless and until such time as the Town Council elects to create a local police department. Local fire districts are unaffected by incorporation. They would continue to provide the services as they do today.

What is the process and timeline for this effort to create a new town?

The process involves multiple steps, including the development and submittal of an incorporation application to the Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). LAFCO is a state-mandated agency that oversees boundary changes and incorporations in each county. The LAFCO process involves preparing a comprehensive fiscal analysis and service plan based on the incorporation proposal. This requires hiring a professional consultant who can work with LAFCO and Placer County staff to gather data and prepare a report. 

Steps also require conducting surveys, meetings, workshops and outreach campaigns to inform and engage residents about the benefits and challenges of incorporation. This part of the process also includes preparing and submitting to LAFCO a petition signed by at least 25% of the registered voters within the proposed town boundary. This essential part of the process is being led by a volunteer group of area citizens operating as a local non-for-profit organization called Eastern Placer Future. 

Assuming the above actions are accomplished, the final step is to hold an election for incorporation. The timeline calls for this election to occur on the November 2026 general election ballot. 

Who votes to decide if we incorporate a new town?

The decision is up to registered voters residing within the proposed Town boundaries, currently estimated at 8,582 registered voters.

What is the proposed name of the new town?

This is something citizens should weigh in on during the process. It should reflect the entire region holistically by acknowledging and celebrating the connection of the valleys (Olympic, Alpine and Martis) to the communities of the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe within Placer County. The name Town of North Tahoe has been suggested, but the name will be vetted more broadly in the region. 

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