SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – With three city council seats open, along with city treasurer and city clerk, the election season for South Lake Tahoe is shaping up to be a busy one. Ten city council candidates have put their hat in the ring, with more potentially to come as the city is extending its deadline for the council and city clerk filings.

City council

Currently, 10 candidates are listed as qualified on the city’s website: Gantt Miller, Erika Gonzalez, Kelly O’Haire, Dyna Boen, Doug Williams, Nick Piliae, John Friedrich, Dina Ramaha, Veronica Morales and Aimi Xistra. Heather Horgan, Scott Robbins, and Grant McCracken were added onto the list before the extension.

Dyna Boen and Veronica Morales are among others who submitted applications when the previous seat (formerly filled by Tamara Wallace) opened last year. New applicants include Dina Ramaha, Gantt Miller, Kelly O’Haire and Nick Piliae.

Several candidates have been involved in city government before: Williams and Gonzalez have served on the Planning Commission, and Gonzalez has also served on the Police Advisory Commission. Aimi Xistra serves on the Arts and Culture Tourism Commission. Xistra notably placed third, just after current councilmembers Keith Roberts and David Jinkens during the last election cycle.

Former councilmember and mayor pro tem John Friedrich has also entered this election cycle. Previously, Friedrich submitted a letter of resignation in September 2024.

Current councilmembers Horgan and Robbins are running again, though Mayor Cody Bass is absent from the current filing. However, with the extended deadline, that may change.

City treasurer and city clerk

David Olivo, the current sole qualified candidate for city treasurer, has served as the city’s treasurer since 2009. He is also a CPA at Olivo, Zicko and Co.

Michelle Davis, the current sole qualified candidate for the city clerk, is the current assistant city clerk. Davis has held the position for three years, and also serves as the secretary for the Lake Tahoe Historical Society.

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. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.