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Election results: Voters approve Measure B

Adam Jensen
ajensen@tahoedailytribune.com

Measure B, which changes South Lake Tahoe’s business license tax structure, appears headed for approval by voters.

The measure received 55.23 percent approval – 924 votes to 749 – by those who voted in Tuesday’s primary election, according to semi-official election night results from the El Dorado County Department of Elections.

Measure B lowers tax rates on the gross receipts of city businesses while increasing the maximum amount of the business license tax from $3,448 to $20,000 per year.



Proponents of the measure argued it will lower taxes for most businesses and raise money for needed improvements in the city.

Critics of the measure said that increasing taxes on the biggest businesses in town will cause costs to trickle down and eliminate any forecasted savings from the measure.



Measure B will generate about $250,000 per year for South Lake Tahoe, according to estimates.

About 7,500 ballots remained uncounted in El Dorado County as of Thursday afternoon, said Bill Schultz, the county’s registrar of voters. It is unlikely that the number of ballots will alter any local races, but it is a possibility, Schultz said.

“It doesn’t look like it, but you just never know,” Schultz said.

Updated results should be posted on the county’s election website Friday afternoon. Certification of the local races will take more than a week, Schultz said.

Other notable results from Tuesday’s primary:

• Incumbent El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Warren Stracener will face challenger Joseph Hoffman in a runoff for the court’s Office 7 seat. Stracener received 42.32 percent of the vote while Hoffman received 36.77 percent, according to semi-official election night results. Challenger Steve Valentine received 20.47 percent of the vote.

• Incumbent El Dorado County Supervisor Ray Nutting defeated challenger George Turnboo to retain the county’s supervisor seat for the second district, while political newcomer Ron “Mik” Mikulaco upset incumbent supervisor John Knight for the county’s first district seat. Candidate Brian Veerkamp received 32.9 percent of the vote for the county’s supervisor seat in the third district. He will face either Richard Barb or A.L. Hamilton in a runoff election.

• Republicans Frank Bigelow and Rico Oller will face off in November to represent the Fifth State Assembly District, which includes South Lake Tahoe and extends south of Yosemite National Park. Bigelow received 28.9 percent of the vote to Oller’s 33.4 percent in a crowded field of candidates.

The district was created last year by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. The pair of republicans will be allowed to compete for the seat because of a 2011 act that created “voter-nominated” offices. All candidates for these offices are listed on one primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters moving to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

• First State Senate District republican incumbent Ted Gaines beat out republican challengers Les Baugh and “Bo” Bogdan I. Ambrozewicz, earning 48.3 percent of the district’s votes. He will face democratic challenger Julie Griffith-Flatter in the November general election. Griffith-Flatter received 30.6 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election.

• Fourth U.S. Congressional District representative Tom McClintock, a republican, beat democratic challenger Jack Uppal 64.1 percent to 35.9 percent in a race that will repeat itself in November because McClintock and Uppal were the only candidates to appear on the primary ballot.

• California voters overwhelming passed Proposition 28, which reduces the amount of time a person can service in the state legislature from 14 to 12 years, while allowing all 12 years to be served in one house.

The outcome for Proposition 29, which would have placed a $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes to fund research for cancer and tobacco-related diseases, remained debatable Thursday evening. As of press time, the proposition was favored by 49.3 percent of voters and opposed by 50.7 percent.

• Incumbent democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein will face republican challenger Elizabeth Emken in the November general election. Feinstein received 49.3 percent of the vote. Emken received 12.5 percent.


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