San Diego County measures for charter change and tax hike face razor-thin margins
Two countywide proposals, one for governance reform and one for a half-cent tax increase, remain too close to call with final results pending.
By Sanjay Caldwell ·
Voters in San Diego County will receive two new policy changes if the current vote counts hold. Measure A proposes structural changes to the Board of Supervisors, while Measure B adds a half-cent sales tax to fund health and safety initiatives. Both measures maintain narrow leads as election officials continue to tabulate ballots.
Measure A currently shows 364,995 yes votes, representing 51.68 percent of the total. The no side has 341,237 votes, or 48.32 percent, according to the county Registrar of Voters. The proposal would establish an independent ethics commission, a budget analyst, and a program auditor reporting to the Board of Supervisors. It also sets consistent term limits across all county elected offices.
If approved, supervisors could serve three terms instead of the current two. The measure does not change the lack of term limits for the sheriff or district attorney. It also keeps the requirement that supervisors live in the districts they represent. The ballot question asks voters to amend the charter to create these independent oversight bodies and allow for the optional appointment of the Public Defender by the board.
Measure B stands at 374,267 yes votes, or 51.62 percent, against 350,762 no votes, or 48.38 percent. This margin has widened since the initial ballot release. The measure, known as the San Diego Health & Safety Act, would raise an estimated $400 million to $450 million annually. The funds are earmarked for stopping toxic sewage pollution, protecting affordable healthcare, and expanding child care.
Supporters of the tax measure expressed confidence in the early returns. The Yes on B campaign stated in a release that voters want to protect local healthcare and clean up toxic sewage. They noted that when state and federal leaders step back, San Diego steps up. The campaign expressed full confidence in election workers and predicted the measure would pass once every ballot is tallied.
The path to the ballot for Measure A was contentious. Supervisors Paloma Aguirre, Terra Lawson-Remer, and Monica Montgomery Steppe voted in May to place the measure on the ballot. Colleagues Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond opposed it. Lawson-Remer, who proposed the reforms, said the changes aim to build a stronger and more accountable county government for future generations. Desmond called the three-term limit for supervisors the worst form of politics and self-serving politicians.
A counterproposal by Anderson failed to gain traction. It would have eliminated a provision allowing the board to confirm senior staff and made oversight independent. Anderson also sought to eliminate the expansion of supervisors' term limits. Desmond moved to place both proposals on the ballot, but the motion failed 3-2. Reform California, a conservative organization, formally opposed Measure A along with Anderson and Desmond.
Union leaders and public safety officials backed the charter reforms. John Clark, president of San Diego County Firefighters Cal-Fire Local 2881, said county governance must adapt to longer fire seasons and growing communities. Mike O'Deane, president of the Deputy Sheriffs' Association, argued that increasing transparency and oversight would improve public trust and county operations.
The sales tax measure qualified through a coalition of health care workers, first responders, and union leaders who submitted more than 151,000 signatures in early May. Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, criticized the tax increase earlier this year. He described it as foolish to propose a tax hike during a cost-of-living crisis and pledged a $1 million campaign to defeat the measure. He called the tax hike reckless and said it would add to voters' financial struggles.
