SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – After serving on city council for four years, Scott Robbins is campaigning again as the only true incumbent this race. Robbins says that institutional knowledge is critical in this race and aims to continue his campaign on centering locals.
“If you don’t know how government works, how can you hope to reform it?” asked Robbins. His previous campaign saw him winning by advocating for local workers especially, and Robbins seems unlikely to change that stance anytime soon.
He says that his experience in translating ideas into legislation and executing them matters, especially as far as getting things done in a city council that has slowed in the past years. “The consequences of on-the-job learning has slowed things down, and there are consequences to the community and staff when we can’t get things done on time.”
Robbins has a reputation for pushing against votes in city council, often serving as a sole dissenting voice on issues he doesn’t care to budge on.. “There’s a value in pushing for minority viewpoints, even if they seem divisive. Yesterday’s minority view can be tomorrow’s legislation, and that takes persistence.”
Robbins sees local government as key to most people’s lives. “Your life intersects with local government more frequently,” he said. “In that way, local government impacts your quality of life in a continuous way, even if it’s more mundane, it is still impactful.”
While his experience has also taught him the limitations of local government, “The city’s authority is broad, but not omnipotent, and it requires sustained engagement. To do this job well, you need to know how.” Robbins is eager to leverage that knowledge in the realm of housing, especially with seeking grants and projects.
He’s also continuing to seek out a second economy, linked with his strong aversion to “pandering to visitors and tourists.” Robbins wants to see support for small manufacturers from the city, as well as growing education and healthcare as second economies.
“Affordability is a thread through all these things, and housing underpins so many of the other challenges here,” said Robbins, pushing for that as well as environmental protection as key parts of his platform. “I value the voice of locals over casinos, hotels, realtors and other special interests.”
Transparency, too, is a major issue for Robbins. He was the sole dissenting voice on Cody Bass becoming mayor after Tamara Wallace stepped down, as well as the single no vote on Keith Roberts becoming Mayor Pro Tem. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask city council to vote for a mayor without a scandal-plagued background.”
“I think we have a justified erosion of trust in local government,” said Robbins. He also cited that he voted for there to be more transparency in the city’s legal decisions around vacation home rentals (VHRs). “I believe the public has a fundamental right to know, and you can’t represent the public in secret.”
Despite his contentious stance in some council meetings, Robbins said he is fine to work with council towards objectives that benefit the city—he’s just also okay with not making friends.
Robbins, who moved to Tahoe about a decade ago for the mountains, says that he wants to represent people like his friends: baristas, bartenders, servers and nurses. “I have enough time, resources and education to do this as a way to contribute value to my neighbors and community,” he said.
“This is a public service position to me and not a stepping stone to anything else,” he said, dismissing the idea that he wants fame or special recognition. “I find the work interesting, fascinating and intellectually challenging, but that doesn’t necessarily make it enjoyable. City council is basically Type 3 fun. Type 2 on a good day.”
To read more on Scott Robbins’ campaign and his platform, visit https://www.scottforslt.com/.
