ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. – Diane Imbach, who has served a leader in the community through Tahoe Douglas Sewer District, the Tahoe-Douglas Chamber of Commerce and others, said she believes her background in banking is one of her boons for the District 4 Douglas County Commissioner race. Imbach says that she has built her platform around listening to constituents.
Since current commissioner Wesley Rice announced that he was not planning on running for re-election, it’s the first time in a long time that there’s more than one option on the ballot for this race.
The lack of information on what was happening in her county and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), where the commissioner has a seat, was a major motivator for Imbach to run.
Imbach said, “I think that government works better when it listens to people to solve decisions and right now, people in Tahoe are going unheard, especially in a position like this, where staff suggestions may override the people’s will. We need someone who will operate on facts, not politics.” Imbach and her husband have lived in Douglas County for over 35 years and she said she feels this position would be “a different way to serve and do something new for my community.”
Before retiring, Imbach was a community bank secretary who rose up the ranks to become a Chief Operation Officer. Imbach called herself as a “trusted leader and problem solver.” One of her major steps was correcting the bank’s compliance challenges, along with helping the transition to digital banking systems.
Though she hasn’t been involved in Douglas County’s government, she spoke of her experience serving the community through her various positions, including the Zephyr Heights General Improvement District, Project Impact, and Tahoe Youth and Family Services. “I have the perspective of someone who hasn’t been part of the Douglas County government and my background in banking and financial responsibility give me plenty of experience in important challenges facing the county.”
Imbach has taxpayer dollar management as one of her top priorities, hoping to bring transparency and responsibility in her capacity as potential commissioner. “We have so many projects they’ve started, like the justice center, and I don’t know that they’re looking at the long term of how we pay for these.” She said she would be interested in helping to shape the Master Plan for District 4 of Douglas County.
Imbach also highlighted the importance of wildfire risk and safety, along with evacuation plans for the area. “The fire department needs funding, staffing and equipment—I think we could look at how the Transient Occupancy Tax is being distributed to fund them, as they’re needed the most when we have a large crowd from tourism in the Tahoe area.”
She advocated for more Firewise communities and an evacuation plan that could be shared out to tourists and second homeowners in the area. Like her opponent Scott Morgan, Imbach highlighted the impacts of tourism on Tahoe.
Imbach also expressed interest in managing how vacation home rentals (VHRs) were handled “I think people use VHRs differently than before. I’m strong on property rights and on neighborhood rights, and I think the problem is not the number of VHRs, but enforcement.”
Her connections throughout the coalitions and nonprofits she has worked on have put Imbach in close touch with many of the agencies around the basin. Imbach said that her interest in serving on the TRPA board as part of the commissioner’s duties comes from her desire for responsible growth in the Tahoe Basin. “I want to get it right. Residents should have a voice in that process, not after the fact. I don’t want to approve a project because it’s ‘politically correct’, but because it is the right fit for our community.”
While the position of commissioner is technically nonpartisan, it’s worth noting that Imbach is running as a Democrat in a largely red area. Morgan is a Republican. Imbach described it as a bit of a battle to connect in some areas of Douglas County, but was glad Tahoe had a strong presence during her outreach town halls—which she intends to do regularly if she becomes commissioner.
Regardless of political party, Imbach says she is committed to the community. “Potholes aren’t partisan and I don’t have strong political views. I don’t think your party makes you who you are and it would not influence my judgment of what’s best for the community.”
Imbach also spoke to the Tribune on a letter written to the Record Courier alleging that she had used campaign finances to endorse Democratic candidates like AOC. She clarified that she had reported her personal contributions (roughly totaling $12) while she was running for Zephyr Heights’ general improvement district and that she would not utilize campaign funds for endorsements.
Instead, Imbach said she has raised money locally for her campaign. She is also endorsed by National Democratic County Officials and Western States Regional Council of Carpenters.
“I’m not running for a title,” said Imbach. “I’m running to make Douglas County a beautiful place for seniors to stay in and kids to grow up in.”
To read more on Imbach’s platform and qualifications, you can visit https://dianeimbach.com/
