Douglas County Commission Plans Hearings Blitz on County Movement

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Commissioner Jacques Etchegoyhen doesn't like the idea. So he wants County Manager Dan Holler to include the item on every agenda, starting Thursday.

As worded, the standing item means the board "may provide direction to staff regarding response to a proposal to create a new Lake County." That will allow the commissioners to craft policies as the proposal progresses.

A similar strategy was used when the county was interested in buying the Slash Bar H Ranch in 1995. Scheduling a discussion satisfied the legal noticing requirements in case there was something to discuss.

The Tahoe Citizens Committee plans to try to create a new county out of Nevada's Lake Tahoe Basin areas, which occupy parts of Douglas and Washoe counties and Carson City's rural area.

So far, Etchegoyhen and Douglas County Commission Chairman Bob Allgeier have taken the offensive. Both wrote memos characterizing the effort as a war that the county must win.

Douglas County's Lake Tahoe areas include Stateline's casino core, which generates both room and sales taxes.

The Tahoe Citizens Committee claims Tahoe residents get fewer services than they pay for in taxes.

Some members also disagree with the county commission's distribution of room taxes, saying more of that money needs to be devoted to tourism promotion.