The Power of Local Action: A 2026 New Year Message from Truckee’s Mayor
As I begin my year as mayor of Truckee, I do so with deep gratitude and reflection. This year is especially meaningful as it marks both the start of my term as mayor and my final year on the town council after seven years of service. It feels like a fitting way to close this chapter of public service.
Over the past seven years, we have taken on big challenges, made difficult decisions, and laid critical groundwork to ensure Truckee remains a resilient, welcoming, and thriving town for generations to come. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.
I am especially proud of our commitment to sustainability and climate action. The town council designated annual funding for environmental initiatives, turning values into action. We helped establish the Climate Transformation Alliance to advance regional carbon neutrality and adopted single-use food ware and plastic water bottle ordinances. We developed a Building Decarbonization Roadmap that positions Truckee as a leader in environmental protection. We are transitioning the town fleet to electric vehicles where practical, expanding fare-free and reduced-fare transportation options like TART Connect and vanpool programs, and supporting year-round bicycle and pedestrian mobility through BCycle and trail plowing.
Truckee was designated a Clean California Community this year, one of the first 30 cities statewide. This achievement highlights Truckee’s leadership in reducing litter, enhancing public spaces, and fostering community pride.
We have also invested in people, strengthening staff capacity to address housing, sustainability, engagement, communications, and inclusion, while rightsizing our organization to better meet community needs, including adding critical public safety positions. Public safety and preparedness have remained a top priority with the creation of the Emergency Management Division and expanded wildfire mitigation efforts.
The adoption of the Truckee 2040 General Plan was one of the most consequential efforts of my time on the council. This robust public process incorporated the Town’s first Climate Action Element, people-focused mobility policies, strengthened community character, and included a robust safety element addressing wildfire risk.
Housing remains one of our most urgent priorities. The town has secured 800 deed-restricted units and created, preserved, or converted housing for over 860 locals.Innovative programs like Lease to Locals are now being replicated across the country.
There is more to do, and so we also advanced funding mechanisms to support more housing programs, transportation, and emergency services. I am equally proud of our thriving small business community, the opening of DEWBEYÚMUWE? Park, and the investments we’ve made in trails and roads, including the renewal of critical tax measures that support this work.
We could not do all of this without the volunteers advancing special projects like the River Revitalization Steering Committee, the Chief’s Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission, Public Art Commission of Truckee, and many more.
The Tahoe Truckee Homeless Action Coalition has made meaningful progress addressing homelessness, leading with compassion and collaboration as we move toward opening a pilot navigation center.
Looking ahead, key milestones include Housing Element decisions, improvements to the Homegrown Housing Program, groundbreaking for Edmunds Lofts, completion of a town-wide evacuation study, a new heat pump incentive program, public art installations, and rollout of Cloudpermit to improve transparency and efficiency. We also look forward to building our bilingual communications, supporting the Truckee Library, the restoration of Donner Lake, and the continued care of our trails through the renewal of the existing sales tax.
None of this happens without the tireless work of town staff, my fellow councilmembers, committee members, and the passion of this community. Truckee is strongest when we work together.
My hope for Truckee is record snow, ambitious agendas, and thoughtful, spirited conversations that move us forward.
~ Anna Klovstad was elected to the Truckee Town Council in 2018 and 2022. She cofounded the Climate Transformation Alliance as mayor and now leads TTUSD’s Facilities Department. As a certified construction and energy manager with an architecture degree, she champions energy efficiency and sustainability projects in the Tahoe/Truckee region.
