TRUCKEE, Calif. — A local civic group is exploring the possibility of creating a new town in eastern Placer County, aiming to give residents more control over their services, priorities and future.

“We would have our own locally elected officials, much like the Town of Truckee,” said Andrew Ryan, a member of Eastern Placer Future. “We often look to Truckee for inspiration on how local governance can work.”

Since 2022, Eastern Placer Future, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, has been meeting regularly to study the benefits and challenges of incorporation — the process through which a community establishes its own local government, such as a city or town.

On Tuesday, the organization gave an informational presentation during Truckee’s town council meeting, sharing its vision and progress on the effort to incorporate a new town in eastern Placer County.

“It is a wonderful place where we live. It should be enhanced, it should be maintained well, we should have resilient communities, and we should ensure access,” Ryan said.

Members of Eastern Placer Future say North Tahoe’s representation and influence in District 5 continue to decline, making it more difficult for the community’s specific needs to be addressed.

“As the West Slope grows and more people choose to live there, our voting power and voice get diluted, and our priorities sometimes get pushed down,” Ryan said.

The group says a town governed by a locally elected council could ensure more consistent representation and direct local decision-making.

Preliminary boundaries for the proposed town would include all areas of Placer County east of Donner Summit, excluding Serene Lakes, Donner Lake and wildland areas designated as State Responsibility Areas for wildfire protection.

An initial fiscal feasibility review estimates the new town could generate about $50.1 million annually in general fund revenue. These funds would come from existing sources such as property taxes, sales tax, transient occupancy tax, property transfer tax, franchise fees and other operating revenues. According to the group, this suggesting the town could operate sustainably at current service levels.

The path to incorporation includes several key steps: submitting an application to the Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO); conducting a full fiscal and service plan analysis; holding public meetings and surveys; gathering petition signatures from at least 25% of registered voters within the proposed boundaries; and ultimately placing the question on the ballot.

Eastern Placer Future is aiming for a public vote in the November 2026 general election.

As the process unfolds, the group continues to engage the community and provide information on what it believes is an opportunity to shape a stronger, more locally accountable future for North Tahoe.

“With a smaller, more focused local government, we’d have a clearer view of how our money is being spent — and more direct control over the decisions that are made,” Ryan said.