SACRAMENTO— Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, recently announced that he has introduced legislation that would protect snow removal funding in the South Lake Tahoe and Truckee areas, helping keep those communities safe during the winter months.
Assembly Bill 2704 would ensure that snow removal funding will be preserved if any allocation to local governments for road maintenance is suspended or rejected.

“Snow removal may not be a big concern for those who don’t live in snow country, but for these communities, it is very serious,” Gaines said. “A hit to road funding in these areas would devastate the local economy and would be disastrous for public education, public safety and the very ability to travel.”

South Lake Tahoe Mayor Kathay Lovell, said the region is grateful for the protection Assembly Bill 2704 would provide.

“These funds are a critical component for our winter access in our community,” Lovell said. “Snow removal is a primary function of our City for both our residents and visitors, but most importantly for public safety. To have safe, quick access to our community for public safety needs as well as our children being able to have school buses for access to transporting them back and forth to school is critical. Without snow removal funds we would be paralyzed.”

Last year, the Legislature narrowly escaped passing a redirection of Highway User Tax Account funds, which would have threatened money intended for local street and road maintenance.

“Any reduction in funding for streets and roads maintenance would be destructive for these areas, but when it comes to priorities, filling potholes pales in comparison to the impact of not being able to keep local roads clear of snow,” Gaines said. “

Assemblyman Ted Gaines represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes portions of Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento & Alpine counties.