Party: Democrat
Place of residence: Stateline
Occupation: Business woman and president of Accommodation Station, Inc.
Age: 58
Contact information:
P.O. Box 5787, Stateline, NV 89449
(800) 344-9364
901-0484
gretaghambsch@hotmail.com
greta@tahoelodging.com
Vote4greta.com
Incumbency: Candidate for office
Education University of California Irvine with a bachelor of arts degree in English. Also obtained her secondary and elementary teaching credentials from UCI. As an undergraduate, she attended UC Santa Barbara and UCLA. Since her graduation she has taken courses at various schools for both personal enrichment and to maintain professional licensing.
Record of service: Past president of South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, past president of Tahoe Tallac Association, past president of Whittell High School Booster's Club, past president of Heavenly Ski Foundation.
Platform:
n Responsibly Manage Growth: This is clearly a defining time for Douglas County, as we are at a crossroads in terms of growth.
For the Valley, revisions to the master plan will go before the board of commissioners in the coming months. Hard decisions as to how to both cap and manage growth must be made by the commission. Growth issues are now also spilling over into Eagle Valley, the Antelope Valley and the Topaz Lake region, and, these too must be planned for by our commissioners.
I will support the Douglas County master plan and will fight to manage growth to maintain our quality of life. Essential services that the county provides to our residents must keep pace with growth. Furthermore, we must plan for services and recreational amenities to meet the needs of all our residents, including our seniors, children and people with special needs.
Current property tax payers should not be burdened with the cost of building and sustaining infrastructure for new development. Impact fees must be fairly levied on responsibly planned new development.
Growth issues are equally important to Lake Tahoe residents of Douglas County. Next year the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will adopt a new 20 year master plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin. The long-term ramifications of this plan are enormous for Lake residents and it is the District 4 Commissioner who will have a voice on the TRPA's governing board which will impact this new plan. The plan must protect the environment, while preserving the rights of property owners.
n Security at Home: The primary responsibility of government is to ensure the safety of its citizens. As our county continues to grow, we need to keep pace at all levels of response-sheriff's office, fire department and paramedic units. What goes hand-in-hand with this goal is making sure that our safety providers are able to afford living here, so that they too may become stake-holders in our community.
We must be vigilant in maintaining public health, security and welfare. We live in a time where ensuring proper emergency preparedness is of the utmost importance. Emergency response procedures should not only be well planned but also publicized and made familiar to the community at large.
n Fiscal Responsibility: By managing growth and using sound fiscal management practices, Douglas County property owners can continue to enjoy a low property tax rate that supports essential services. I understand that keeping tax rates in check is critical for creating a climate that attracts and sustains businesses that support quality jobs in our area. We need to encourage economic diversity that is also environmentally friendly.
n Protecting Our Environment: Our framework of high mountains to the west and deserts to the east are precious commodities that we must never compromise. With all we do, all motions raised and laws passed , we must always take our environment into consideration. I won't sell out on Mother Nature and will maintain a vigilant eye on growth to ensure that our valuable natural resources are preserved and protected for future generations.
n Preserving Our Rural Character: We live here for the mountains, deserts, lakes, forest, clean water and air, and the genuine handshakes that accompany small town living. Preserving our western culture and heritage and prime stretches of agricultural and ranch land are my priorities.
n Economic Security For Our Community's Businesses: If Douglas County is to remain a place to both live and work, we must help our business community by fostering an environment where existing business, including our agricultural industry, can succeed and grow. So that our businesses can maintain a reliable workforce, it is important that any new development includes plans for appropriate housing stock. In addition, attracting new business to our area is important for our economic vitality.
