REGION — In the county’s two smallest cities, the Nov. 8 election was good for some incumbents, not so great for one and likely gratifying for another, who was re-elected to a council seat after stepping down eight years ago.
Dave Druker, a Del Mar councilman from 1996 to 2008 who served as mayor three times, was the top vote getter in the beach city.
He will be joined on the dais next month by newcomer Ellie Haviland and incumbent Sherryl Parks, the current mayor who was first elected to City Council in 2012.
Druker received 837 votes (21.95 percent). Haviland and Parks got 741 (19.43 percent) and 733 (19.22 percent) votes, respectively.
Newcomers T. Patrick Stubbs and Jim Benedict received 587 and 507 votes, representing 15.39 and 13.30 percent, respectively. Incumbent Al Corti finished last with 408 votes (10.70 percent).
Incumbent Don Mosier did not run for a third term.
“We ran a good campaign talking about the issues that matter most to Del Mar residents,” Parks said. “I am particularly pleased to feel that being re-elected to council is a mandate that I am getting it right and perpetuating the values of those who came before me to make Del Mar a very special place to live.”
The vote was split on two initiatives in Del Mar. Measure Q, seeking a 1 percent sales tax hike, passed with 1,027 votes in support and 499 opposed.
City officials plan to use the additional $1.5 million to $2 million annually for capital improvement projects such as downtown streetscape upgrades, utility pole undergrounding and implementation of the Shores property master plan.
Measure R, which would have required voter approval for development projects larger than 25,000 square feet, was narrowly defeated, 792-711.
In Solana Beach, current Mayor Dave Zito was re-elected to his second City Council term with 2,304 (24.17 percent) votes. Newcomers Judy Hegenauer and Jewel Edson will replace Lesa Heebner and Peter Zahn, who chose not to run for re-election.
Hegenauer and Edson received 2,045 (21.45 percent) and 2,024 (21.45 percent) votes, respectively.
Cynthia Walsh, Chris Hohn and Ed Siegel finished with 1,229 (12.89 percent), 1,198 (12.57 percent and 734 (7.70 percent) votes.
The number of votes each candidate receives is important in Del Mar and Solana Beach, as the totals are used to help determine who will be mayor, a position that rotates annually in both cities.
In the San Diego County Supervisor District 3 race, incumbent Dave Roberts led Kristin Gaspar by 2,293 votes, with about 620,000 mail and provisional countywide ballots still uncounted.
Roberts prevailed in the 2012 election with 51.14 percent of the vote. At press time he had 50.9 percent of the vote to Gaspar’s 49.1 percent.
“I’m in a better position than I was four years ago,” Roberts said. “I’m pleased with the results. I don’t see anything changing (with the provisional vote count). I believe the voters re-elected me to four more years.
“I appreciate the confidence the voters have in me,” he added. “I’m prepared to continue the job I’m doing, not just for District 3 but for the entire county. I think, at the end of the day, this race boiled down to quality-of-life issues.”
Erica Halpern (6,127) and Darren Gretler (3,796) were re-elected to the Del Mar Union School District board of trustees, winning 45.12 and 27.95 percent of the vote, respectively.
San Dieguito Union High School District trustees Beth Hergesheimer (23,005) and Joyce Dalessandro (22,045) were both re-elected, having each earned more than 31 percent of the vote.
At press time none of the other Del Mar or Solana Beach candidates had responded to a request for comment, nor had Arnold Wiesel, who led the Measure R effort in Del Mar.
