San Diego County supervisors just got a lot more power and money – and have a major new promise to keep.
County governance reform Measure A and a countywide sales tax increase Measure B each passed with about 52 percent of the vote.
Measure B is a half-cent countywide sales tax that will pull in an estimated $400 million to $450 million annually for health care, public safety, Tijuana River solutions and child care. It was pushed by a coalition that included the county’s largest labor union and advocacy groups. Its passage is expected to help the county combat Trump administration cuts that had been expected to hit the county’s budget hard. The measure’s commitment to solve the Tijuana River sewage crisis – and commit tens of millions of dollars annually to the cause – also means the county has a major promise to keep.
It’s committed to owning – and solving the years-long crisis that’s fueled health concerns and closed beaches. Get caught up on the fine print here.
About that other measure: Measure A will shift the power balance in county government, giving supervisors and the constituents who support them more influence on day-to-day operations and the budget. The reform measure championed by county Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer gives supervisors a potential third term in office and the power to approve the hiring of top county officials – and to remove them with a four-vote super majority. It also creates two positions that report to the supervisors: an auditor and budget analyst, creates an ethics commission and adjusts rules on board members’ interactions with county staff and contracting officials. You can read more about it here.
Lawson-Remer cheered the Thursday night victories – and wrote in a statement that she’s eager to take on the new responsibilities that come with Measure B.
“Big changes don’t happen because we wait for someone else to act. They happen when people come together and are willing to take on tough fights,” Lawson-Remer wrote.
What We Still Don’t Know in Southeastern San Diego Council Race
In the race for the District 4 City Council seat, which represents southeastern San Diego, the vote count is still close.
Martha Abraham, a nurse and housing activist, is currently leading incumbent Councilmember Henry Foster. She led by 1,617 votes, as of Thursday night. The Union-Tribune has already called it for Abraham, but there are still thousands of votes left to count in the district.
Abraham ran on a campaign of bringing change to City Hall and equitable resources to District 4. The race is incredibly fascinating — especially because two figures in southeastern San Diego, who also built their careers calling for change and equity, spent recent weeks campaigning hard for Foster: attorney Geneviéve Jones-Wright and County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe.
Before any results came in Tuesday night, Montgomery Steppe said she felt confident Foster would win. Montgomery Steppe herself ousted an incumbent in the very same Council district in 2018.
Montgomery Steppe said that even though she ran as an outsider in 2018, she had been involved in city politics for years and knew how City Hall worked. Abraham, to Montgomery Steppe’s mind, hadn’t shown that she knew enough about how to actually bring change to City Hall.
The voters of the district “don’t want someone that’s necessarily super steeped in the status quo, but they do want someone that knows enough to be able to go there and fight for them. And there’s nothing she has done to represent that,” said Montgomery Steppe.
Abraham’s supporters, meanwhile, seemed jubilant at an event on election night.
The next vote drop is scheduled for Friday before 6 p.m. We’ll keep you updated.
Other Races We’re Watching
District 8 City Council: Antonio Martinez now has a 2,880-vote lead over fellow Democrat Gerardo Ramirez. District 8 includes San Ysidro, Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights and Grant Hill. Martinez and Ramirez are competing to replace termed-out City Councilmember Vivian Moreno and as inewsource reports, their race ended up being one of the highest dollar races in the city.
State District 40: Former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott continued to hold a lead over her Republican opponent Kristie Bruce-Lane. NBC 7 has more here.
The South Bay Blue Wave That Wasn’t
The cascade of Democratic Party wins across the country didn’t prevail in South Bay.
In his latest South County Report, our Jim Hinch runs down this week’s election results.
Among them: Republican Chula Vista Mayor John McCann’s cruise to re-election, independent Imperial Beach Mayor Mitch McKay’s electoral success and Republican incumbent Delia Cervantes’ wide lead over contenders for a Chula Vista Elementary School District board.
Read the full South County Report here.
Oops Our Bad
Yesterday we forgot to include the amount that Measure B is projected to deliver in our write up. (Blame it on the sleep deprivation from election night.)
We also updated the section to correct who was responsible for crafting two county measures on the ballot, and included additional context.
You can read the corrected post here.
In Other News
- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday cleared death sentences across the state, a move that will affect at least 30 convicted killers in San Diego County. (CBS 8)
- The owner of Fashion Valley mall just debuted a dialed back plan to tear down the JCPenney department store and add restaurants, retail and more than 400 housing units. (Times of San Diego)
- Oceanside’s city manager has a new gig in Anaheim. (Union-Tribune)
- Expect big waves and strong tides this weekend. (Union-Tribune)
- Amid fears that immigrant communities could be intimidated at polling places, two San Diego nonprofits stepped up to offer safe places for people to vote. (KPBS)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Will Huntsberry. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.