New election results released Monday left Oceanside residents still wondering whether the city will impose another sales tax. They’ll have to wait for more results Tuesday night.
The 15,000 additional ballots counted show “no” on Measure S ahead by 238 votes, even less than the 458-vote edge Friday night. Almost 60,000 votes have been tallied so far, and a mere four-tenths of a percentage point is the difference between “yes” and “no” right now.
It’s unclear how many ballots remain to be counted in Oceanside. Countywide, there are a projected 185,000 left to count out of almost 1.3 million cast. San Diego County voting officials expect to post new updates Tuesday evening and have until Dec. 3 to certify results.
The City Council voted to put the half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot in the hopes of generating $200 million for five infrastructure projects. City officials said it was necessary to repair the cracking cement portion of the pier, to repair roads, to replenish sand on city beaches and to build a fire station and police headquarters.
But the measure ran into opposition from residents across the political spectrum who cited affordability concerns, especially given the fact that voters had approved a sales tax measure in 2024 when they extended an existing half-cent sales tax for 10 years.
The new increase would bring the city’s sales tax rate to 8.75%, tied for highest in San Diego County with eight other cities, including Del Mar, Escondido, San Marcos and Solana Beach.
Check back Tuesday evening for updates.
