Wildfire Expo a huge success — thank you

Dear Editor:

We want to publicly thank the community for coming out to the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Wildfire Safety Expo this past weekend. This was a highly successful collaborative effort by all South Shore fire agencies and utility services (and others) that provided important wildfire safety/preparedness information at such a critical time. This summer season is aligning to be another record breaking fire year after the “driest winter months in 100 years.”

We saw approximately 750 visitors throughout the day and gave out a ton of information and schwag. Overall, we were extremely pleased with the weather, turnout and overall sense of receptiveness from the community. We are all in this together on the South Shore (and around the lake) and recognize the need to collaborate to ensure we are all diligently working hard to keep our community prepared and fire safe. Thank you Tahoe.

If you are interested in information on becoming an insurance cost reducing Firewise USA community, email info@cityofslt.us and we can get you started. Or look for Firewise USA within the NFPA.org website.

Kim George, South Lake Tahoe

Slossberg is our unanimous choice for superior court judge

Dear Editor:

One of the most important elections on the June 7 ballot is the election for superior court judge. As current and retired El Dorado County superior court judges, we see it as our responsibility to encourage voters to support the candidate that has the integrity, has the necessary experience, has the right temperament and values, has established a long-time commitment to El Dorado County, and will be the most prepared to serve as your next superior court judge. Without question, that candidate is Gary Slossberg.

In November of 2020, the entire El Dorado County judicial bench appointed Gary to serve as your superior court commissioner. What we saw then was his intellect, his proven track record, his judicial demeanor, and his ability to handle the immense workload of the court. Gary surpassed all of our expectations. As commissioner, he handles most of the responsibilities of a superior court judge. Gary effectively manages his courtroom, has handled nearly every case type in the county, and is decisive in making orders to keep the community safe.

As judges in El Dorado County, we understand the unique needs of the county and what is necessary to be a successful judge. Gary has demonstrated his long-time commitment to the county, spending over half of his legal career serving the needs and concerns of residents. He also has experience serving the entire county, from his time as a practicing attorney in South Lake Tahoe representing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to his work as the family law facilitator in Placerville to his current job as the superior court commissioner, in which he has presided over court cases in every courthouse in El Dorado County. He has a thorough understanding of our local court system and the legal issues faced by the residents of the county.

Without hesitation, we support Gary Slossberg for superior court judge. He is the right candidate for this critical role in our county. We encourage you to join us in supporting Gary.

Presiding Judge Vicki Ashworth, Former Presiding Judge (Ret.) Suzanne N. Kingsbury, Assistant Presiding Judge Michael J. McLaughlin, Judge Lauren C. Bowers, Judge Jaime Pesce, Judge Mark A. Ralphs, Judge Dylan Sullivan, Judge (Ret.) Eddie T. Keller, Judge (Ret.) Daniel B. Proud, Judge (Ret.) Warren C. Stracener

Lucky to catch tax glitch sooner than later

Dear Editor:

In December 2021, I contacted the El Dorado County Tax Collector to inform them my mortgage company will no longer handle the payments of my taxes. I asked if there was anything I needed to do? I was assured I would receive a statement before the April 10 due date.

I never received a statement, therefore, I paid it online and printed the statement. I noticed the mailing address on the statement wasn’t mine, (the homeowner’s name is not printed on the statement), so I called the County Assessors Office. I was told my information along with the reassessment of the property was not updated because of a glitch that happened in 2018 when their system was updated. One week later I received three property tax bills totaling almost $10,000 due by May 30, 2022.

I’d like to inform anyone who purchased a home in 2018 to make sure your information has been properly updated with the County Assessors Office and the Tax Collector. If you are a victim of the glitch and you are unable to pay it, your house will go into foreclosure and sold at auction. It doesn’t matter if you happen to catch it now or 30 years later, there is no leniency. You are expected to pay all your back taxes.

I never heard of this nor was I informed that I may have been affected. I’m passing it forward to alert all unsuspecting homeowners. I’m only glad I caught it now and not 30 years later.

Maria Thompson, South Lake Tahoe