San Diego County voters approved two measures that expand county supervisors’ authority and provide hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, putting new responsibility on the board to address the Tijuana River sewage crisis. Measures A and B each passed with approximately 52 percent of the vote.
Measure B establishes a half-cent sales tax across the county, with estimated annual proceeds of $400 million to $450 million. The funding is intended for health care, public safety, child care and solutions for the Tijuana River. A coalition that included the county’s largest labor union and advocacy organizations backed the increase.
The additional revenue is expected to help the county respond to Trump administration cuts that had been anticipated to put significant pressure on its budget. The measure also commits tens of millions of dollars each year to the river crisis, placing the county under an obligation to tackle a longstanding sewage problem that has prompted health concerns and beach closures.
Measure A changes how county government operates by increasing supervisors’ influence over daily administration and budget decisions. Championed by county Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, it allows supervisors a potential third term and gives them authority to approve the hiring of senior county officials. Removing those officials will require a four-vote supermajority.
The governance measure also establishes auditor and budget analyst positions reporting to supervisors, creates an ethics commission and revises rules governing board members’ dealings with county staff and contracting officials. Lawson-Remer celebrated both measures’ passage Thursday night and said in a statement that she welcomed the responsibilities accompanying Measure B.
Meanwhile, counting continued in San Diego’s District 4 City Council contest. Nurse and housing activist Martha Abraham led incumbent Henry Foster by 1,617 votes as of Thursday night. Although The Union-Tribune had called the race for Abraham, thousands of district ballots remained uncounted. The next results were scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, before 6 p.m.
Abraham campaigned on changing City Hall and securing equitable resources for southeastern San Diego. Foster received strong support in the closing weeks from attorney Geneviéve Jones-Wright and County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe. Montgomery Steppe, who defeated an incumbent in the same district in 2018, questioned whether Abraham had demonstrated sufficient knowledge of city government to deliver change.
In District 8, Antonio Martinez held a 2,880-vote advantage over fellow Democrat Gerardo Ramirez in the contest to succeed Councilmember Vivian Moreno, who is leaving because of term limits. Former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott also maintained her lead over Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane in the State District 40 race.
