SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – After hearing over 20 applicants for the city council seat, city council could not break their 2-2 votes, eventually delaying a potential appointment to the next meeting. If the council cannot break its 2-2 vote by December 12, then the seat will automatically go up for special election.

Previous runners Aimi Xistra and Heather Cade-Bauer were in the applicant pool, which netted points from Mayor Cody Bass and councilmember Scott Robbins.

Bass and Robbins both referenced the “will of the people” and their previous involvement in civic life through running campaigns in the previous election. Bass in particular said that Xistra’s appointment could represent the will of the people since she came in third behind Keith Roberts and David Jinkens.

Bass said that the special election could do a disservice to applicants, especially if they had to run two campaigns to maintain their seat after the June to November period was over.

However, Roberts and Jinkens were unwilling to vote in favor of Xistra’s appointment. Jinkens expressed some support for Douglas Williams, but stayed firm in his position that he wanted a special meeting to discuss the applicants further.

Roberts said he was not interested in soliciting more applicants and shared the frustrations on wanting to vet them.

Motions to appoint Xistra, to appoint Heather Horgan, to hold a special meeting and to call for a special election all failed. By default, the item will be pushed to the December 9^th meeting.

If the council decides either on the December 9 meeting or before the end of the December 12 deadline, then by default, a special election will be held in June.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.