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General plan, library measures pass

Amanda Fehd

PLACERVILLE ” El Dorado County voters approved a general plan in Tuesday’s special election and puts to an end a 15-year, $15 million process to give the county a 20-year plan. Measure B was a referendum on whether to approve the plan put forth by county supervisors last July.

With all 127 precincts reporting, 51.2 percent voted ‘yes’ on Measure B, while 48.7 percent voted ‘no.’ Over a half a million dollars was spent by campaign committees for and against the measure.

Voter turnout was 32 percent, low compared to recent elections. Last year’s presidential election saw an 82 percent turnout in the county.



General plan backers in Lake Tahoe were pleased with the outcome.



“It must have been a good plan, because nobody liked it,” said Tom Davis, former South Lake Tahoe mayor, councilmember for 12 years and measure supporter. “It’s been a long hard-fought battle. I’d say it’s about time. We need to get this behind us and move on.”

Measure D, which would have limited a General Plan until Highway 50 is expanded, as well as restricting subdivisions in the county, failed with a 60.4 percent ‘no’ vote to a 39.5 percent ‘yes’ vote.

Meanwhile, a renewal tax to support the South Lake Tahoe library in the special election won easily with 81 percent of the votes. Measure F needed 66.7 percent to win.

Only 27 percent of the county’s eligible voters for Measure F turned out for the library vote. Absentee ballot turnout for South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area was 12 percent.

“I was never concerned about Tahoe, they were very organized,” said Rich Meagher, campaign coordinator for measures F, G and H, which were all county library tax measures. “When you have a community like that come together, you almost can’t lose.”

While counters at county election headquarters said they expected to see more ballots, Donna Baker, a paid election worker at a Meyers polling place, the Lake Valley Fire Department, said she didn’t see a slow turnout.

“It was slow to begin with in the morning, but it picked up in the afternoon and we were fairly pleased with the final turnout,” Baker said.


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