City of Placerville City Council Councilmember Kara Taylor

Placerville Vice Mayor Kara Taylor, who runs the blog HomeCooksGuide.com, says she is a self-taught chef. “Instead of attending culinary school, I learned by doing. By trial and error, By devouring cook books with a voracious appetite,” she writes. Taylor observed “many talented chefs, cooks, moms and grandmas in restaurant and family kitchens.” She and her husband moved to Placerville in 2009 and started Smokey Ridge Charcuterie, a gourmet food business, and The Farm Table, a local restaurant. In 2020, shortly before the birth of her second daughter, the restaurant closed. “It was time for me to leave the restaurant industry and turn my focus to other things,” Taylor said.

First elected: Nov. 6, 2018

Alma mater: University of Montana (bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in rural and environmental change)

Notable quote: “I think we can be a welcoming city without declaring ourselves a sanctuary city.” (Source: Mountain Democrat)

Committee, board and commission assignments
El Dorado County Transit Authority
El Dorado County Transportation Commission
El Dorado Union High School District Campus Security