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California voters consider controversial vacation homes tax in iconic Lake Tahoe area
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Homeowner Kelly O'Hare stands on her balcony overlooking South Lake Tahoe, Calif. on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, where voters will decide whether to approve Measure N, which will mandate a tax to homeowners who leave their homes vacant for more than half the year. - photo by AP Photo/Haven Daley
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Owners of vacation homes in Northern California's South Lake Tahoe could face a significant tax increase if voters in the mountain resort town approve a measure on Tuesday’s ballot that pits affordable housing against private property rights. South Lake Tahoe, which sits on the shores of the iconic alpine lake, has about 7,000 vacant homes — 44% of the city’s estimated housing units — according to the 2022 American Community Survey. Measure N would levy a flat $3,000 tax on homes that are vacant 182 days within a calendar year.