New candidate for eastern Placer County

Donner Summit resident Jennifer Montgomery has thrown her hat into the ring, vying for a chance to represent eastern Placer County.

Montgomery will be challenging Bob Houston and incumbent Bruce Kranz for the fifth supervisorial district, which encompasses the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe, Donner Summit, and part of the western slope of the county.

She announced her intentions Thursday afternoon at the Placer County Elections Office in Auburn.

“Donner Summit and Royal Gorge acted as a tipping point for me, it made me sit up and take notice of other things around the district,” Montgomery said in a phone interview Thursday. “I’ve been following a lot of other issues like the parking garage in Tahoe City, the transportation center in Kings Beach, JMA’s project in Homewood, and Martis Valley.”

Montgomery said she has no experience in politics, but contends that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Instead, she draws on a wide background and 17 years living on Donner Summit.

Her experience ranges from working in the ski industry to doing construction, she said.

“I want to preserve our natural assets, because they are why we live here, and what brings people and money, and I want to protect small property owner’s rights,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery is critical of sitting supervisor Kranz, saying he isn’t responsive to his constituents.

Specifically, Montgomery cited Kranz’s comments to the Sierra Sun about a community plan for Donner Summit as Royal Gorge moves forward.

“Kranz has said a community planning process is for the developer. I think it should be a process for the community,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery’s goals include examining the affects of climate change on the area’s economy, implementing a night-sky standard for lighting, re-examining public transportation in the Tahoe Basin, and insuring new development is both responsible and green, she said.

She doesn’t consider herself anti-development, she said, and is a proponent of the Sierra Business Council’s model for growth.

As for the one development that started Montgomery on her campaign — Royal Gorge — she said what’s been presented so far has not been acceptable, but said she believes the developers could come up with something better.

With her campaign officially announced, Montgomery said she will travel throughout the district in a grassroots effort to acquaint voters with her goals and ideas.

Check it out Biographical information Born: February 11, 1961 in Redwood City, CA Residence: Serene Lakes, CA Occupation: Small Business owner Past Employers: Bank of America, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, the Sierra Business Council, among others Degrees: BA Media, Mills College AA Ornamental Horticulture, Sierra College For more information, go to www.montgomeryforsupervisor.org.