Update, October 22, 9 a.m. City staff have updated the city council website to clarify the application period for the vacant seat, which will be open until November 12. The applicants will present to council on the November 18 city council meeting, after which the council may appoint one of the candidates.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – During the October 22 city council meeting, Cody Bass was appointed as mayor by the council, though no pro tem was selected. The council also decided that they will appoint a new city council member, and if that fails, opt for the special election.

The item to discuss filling the vacant council seat, filling vacant commission seats and selecting a new mayor and mayor pro tem if needed was added to the agenda after the resignation of former mayor Tamara Wallace. Their options to fill the empty city council seat included either calling for a special election, which would take place on June 2^nd, or appointing someone after reviewing candidate applications.

“The resignation and events leading up to the resignation are troubling,” said city manager Joe Irvin. He and Olga Tikhomirova, director of finance, reassured people that the city’s financial audits for the last fiscal year were clean.

Before the council discussed the item, Bass opened up the floor to public comment, much of which concerned him. Bass won his initial election to city council in 2018 with nearly 18% of the total votes and has served as incumbent since, but his recent arrest at Aleworx has caused stir in the community. However, the assault charge was dropped by the district attorney before his court date, which will take place in December.

Several people expressed concern that there should be a vetting process for city council members, which city attorney Heather Stroud clarified is not a possibility for the city and could potentially be illegal.

Others said that there was a history of corruption within the council, referencing Wallace’s court documents from 2006 and 2021 stating that she had stolen and failed to pay back roughly $120,000 to Federal Insurance Company. Many people said that given Bass’s previous legal issues and lack of accountability, he should step down.

Still others came to Bass’s defense, citing his advances in transportation and the function of the council. Longtime city council meeting attendee Melissa Soderston said, “This city council has been the most effective we have had.”

She and a few others also called for Scott Robbins to have a turn as mayor, as during his term, he has not served as mayor or mayor pro tem. Many also called for either David Jinkens or Keith Roberts to fill the mayoral position.

Lastly, several people gave their input on the process of filling the seats, urging them not to rush the process. Some said that a special election would be the fairest way, while others noted that the appointed councilmember would only serve for the remainder of Wallace’s term, which would have ended in November of next year. Some also said they were interested in appointments from previous city council candidates such as Nick Speal, Aimi Xistra and Marjorie Green.

The bulk of the council discussion on the matter regarded the filling of the vacant council seat and appointment of mayor.

Robbins said that he was unsure there would be a good candidate, but saw the special election as a backup plan if they were unable to choose. Roberts said that he agreed with public comment that appointing previous candidates would be an appropriate path if they decided to submit an application, since they have a level of city approval and support. Jinkens favored an appointment due to the time constraints, which Bass agreed with. If they are unable to make a decision, the special election will take place on June 2^nd regardless.

The motion to appoint a candidate to fill the seat passed unanimously.

Bass addressed the public before they discussed the mayorship. “I was falsely arrested, that has actually been proven by the fact the arrestable charge of assault, I haven’t even had a day in court and the DA would not charge me with that because I never assaulted a single person. I am absolutely innocent to the fullest degree,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that people don’t believe in due process and won’t give me a day in court. So I ask the public and this council to not judge me on that situation.”

Councilmember David Jinkens spoke in support of Bass, following Bass’ statement.

Robbins made a motion to approve Bass as mayor, which was seconded by Jinkens. While Roberts said that he had personal opinions on Bass, he also acknowledged that the council meeting was not the appropriate time or place to voice them.

Bass was appointed as mayor unanimously, though it left the seat of mayor pro tem open.

Both Robbins and Roberts made a motion to appoint themselves as mayor pro tem, both of which failed as there was no second on either. Jinkens expressed that he wouldn’t vote on either one if it was put up to a motion.

The council voted to hold off on appointing a Mayor Pro Tem until the vacant position has been filled.

Bass has had to recuse himself from items in the past, and if that were to happen with the current council structure, someone would be chosen to run the meeting in his stead. That being said, with the current council of only four people, it’s difficult to break ties. The appointment would need to be made within the 60-day period of Wallace’s resignation on October 13^th, and there are three upcoming council meetings that take place before that period ends.

Editor’s note: Tahoe Daily Tribune will be following up with an in-depth article on the council meeting.

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.