Embezzler resigns as South Lake Tahoe mayor; her successor faces fallout from run-in at bar

A week after South Lake Tahoe’s mayor resigned amid an embezzlement scandal, her successor was chosen — a man who is fighting charges related to a run-in at a bar.

An overflow crowd attended the Tuesday city council meeting at which Cody Bass was promoted to the top role, TV station KOVR reported.

Tamara Wallace formally left the job on Oct. 13. The previous week she announced in a public letter that she had embezzled from a church, and that her “guilt, shame and grief” drove her to attempt suicide on Sept. 11. She spent the subsequent weeks in mental health treatment, she said.

In her resignation announcement, Wallace urged her council colleague Bass to step down as well. He was charged in a Sept. 25 incident at a pub in Stateline, Nev., in which he allegedly threatened an employee.

Bass has repeatedly declared his innocence, saying in his own public letter, “I did not assault anyone.” The Douglas County district attorney did not charge him with assault; he has a December court date on misdemeanor charges of trespassing and harassment.

Bass is in his second term on the five-member council; he and Wallace were both first elected in 2018. Bass served as the city’s mayor last year, and then became mayor pro tem when Wallace took over the top spot.

In 2021, during Bass’ first term, he was arrested on suspicion of DUI and drug possession. He pleaded no contest to the drug charges, and the jail component of his sentence was suspended.

After Wallace’s admission, the El Dorado County district attorney’s office said it was investigating the embezzlement case. So far, no charges have been announced.

Wallace claimed she had “in effect, turned myself in” for the theft from Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, where she worked as a bookkeeper. The pastor has told news organizations that, when Wallace failed to show up for work last month, the church’s treasurer examined the accounts and discovered that $360,000 was missing.

South Lake Tahoe, a city of 21,000 people, is a tourist destination just across the line from the Stateline casinos.

If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.