John Friedrich
Candidate for City Council (At-Large), South Lake Tahoe · Business Development Executive
John Friedrich previously served on the South Lake Tahoe City Council from 2020 to 2024, including as mayor pro tem, before resigning in September 2024. A longtime climate-change activist, he has lived in South Lake Tahoe since the early 2000s and previously worked as a program director for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. During his council tenure he helped secure funding for the Recreation & Aquatics Center, Sugar Pine Village, and the Lake Link microtransit service, increased the road-repair budget, adopted clean-energy goals, banned plastic water bottles in city facilities, and launched the city's Multicultural Festival.
Positions in brief
Friedrich's platform centers on faster affordable-housing construction, road and pothole repair, walkable business corridors, 100% renewable energy by 2030, and sustainable-tourism transit investment.
On housing, he wants to enable faster, more affordable construction of ADUs, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes and reduce fees and permitting barriers. On infrastructure, he wants to double the pothole-repair budget and maintain strong public-safety and snow-removal funding. On the economy, he wants to streamline development approval and invest in walkable commercial corridors like the Y, Bijou, Ski Run Blvd. and Harrison Ave. On climate, he wants the city to hit 100% renewable energy by 2030 and fund rooftop solar and fleet electrification. On tourism and transit, he wants to make Highway 50 more walkable and expand ferries and microtransit.
On the issues
- Housing & Homelessness
Wants to enable faster, more affordable housing construction (ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes) and reduce fees and permitting barriers.
Source → - Infrastructure & Transportation
Wants to double the pothole-repair budget and accelerate the road-repair schedule while maintaining public-safety and snow-removal funding.
Source → - Economy & Jobs
Wants to streamline development approval and invest in walkable commercial corridors.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Wants the city to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030 and fund rooftop solar, efficiency upgrades, and fleet electrification.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Sees the council's role as carrying out the community's will.
“I believe the role of city council is to facilitate the will of the community it serves.”
Source →
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