Lake Tahoe is known for its clear, sapphire waters, but the landscape is dark and murky in the halls of power on the alpine oasis’ south side.
South Lake Tahoe this week got hit with a one-two punch of revelations and scandal. Mayor Tamara Wallace admitted to, and is being criminally investigated for, embezzling funds from a local church. In a stunning letter she published Sunday, Wallace also divulged that she had attempted suicide on Sept. 11, her birthday.
The day after Wallace exposed her pain and transgressions, news broke that Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass had been arrested after allegedly assaulting a restaurant employee.
It’s unclear what happens next for the lakeside community’s elected officials. Wallace and Bass retain their seats and plan to attend the Oct. 21 City Council meeting, according to city spokesperson Sheree Juarez.
Wallace unburdened herself in a letter that was published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune (opens in new tab) and South Tahoe Now (opens in new tab). It’s unclear how much money she pilfered from a Presbyterian church, but she said it had been undetected. The scheme had no impact on city coffers, she claimed.
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But guilt drove her to try to end her life, she wrote.
“I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution,” she wrote. “It was only by the grace of God that I failed.”
Since then, she has spent 18 days in a mental health facility and is taking medication and enrolled in “intense, all-day, every-day group and individual counseling sessions.”
Wallace’s letter pointed to past trauma, including childhood abuse, the death of her son Christopher from fentanyl poisoning, and death threats while working as a city councilmember.
“These things may be reasons, but not an excuse for my behavior,” Wallace wrote.
“Rather than be like many public servants and individuals who try to lie, hide, and delay the consequences of something they have done, I am taking a different path,” the letter said. “I am telling the truth and admitting what I have done.”
The funds she allegedly embezzled have not damaged the city financially, and the matter is being investigated by the El Dorado County district attorney’s office, Juarez said.
Then there’s the ordeal of Bass. The pro tem mayor was arrested Sept. 26 around 1 a.m. at a bar and restaurant in Stateline, Nevada, on misdemeanor charges of assault, trespassing, and threats/harassment, according to a statement Monday from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and DA.
Deputies were summoned to Aleworx around midnight after Bass got into a confrontation with an employee, according to KRNV (opens in new tab) in Reno. Bass complained that he had been kicked and threatened that he “was going to have people kill” the employee of the establishment, from which he had previously been banned, KRNV reported. Video of the incident, however, led deputies to conclude Bass was the aggressor, the TV station reported.
He was booked into the county jail and released a few hours later, according to the Tahoe Daily Tribune (opens in new tab).
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson filed misdemeanor trespassing and harassment charges, the statement said.
In a letter published (opens in new tab) in South Tahoe Now Tuesday, Bass denied much of the sheriff department’s account of the incident, claiming he never went inside Aleworx and was assaulted by the doorman. He claims he “did not assault anyone” and was never asked not to return to the restaurant.
“I will absolutely not be stepping down from my position on the City Council, as I have done nothing wrong,” Bass wrote. “I am committed to going through the due process to prove my innocence.”
Wallace declined to comment.
“The incidents were a surprise to all of us and the news is still sinking in,” said South Lake Tahoe City Council Member David Jinkins in an email. “City government continues to operate under professional management and all services remain intact and unaffected by recent events.”
The city said it is “aware” of the criminal investigation against the Wallace and the arrest of Bass.
Since both city leaders remain in office, the Oct. 21 council meeting could be … interesting. If the city keeps to its usual procedure, a livestream of the meeting will be on YouTube (opens in new tab).
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text “988" any time, day or night, to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat online (opens in new tab). (opens in new tab)