REGION — Voters in the northern reaches of San Diego County decided on school board candidates, school bond measures, planning group leaders and other special elections on Nov. 5 in Fallbrook, Bonsall, Valley Center and other surrounding communities.
The county has processed nearly 69% of votes, with about 140,000 ballots to go as of Nov. 12.
In Bonsall Unified School District, incumbent Trustee Eric Ortega, representing Trustee Area E, has 700 votes for 54% to lead challenger Lindsay Jones with 592 votes, or 45%.
In Fallbrook Union High School District’s race for Trustee Area 4, Board Vice President Oscar Caralampio holds a strong lead with more than 60% of the vote over challenger Joshua Tiller, who now trails by an insurmountable vote count.
Voters have also appeared to turn down bond measures for Bonsall, Fallbrook and Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District.
Bonsall voters defeated Measure V, which would have authorized $59 million in bonds to upgrade classrooms, labs and safety systems, repair facilities, add space to reduce overcrowding and support hands-on learning in Bonsall Unified School District. If it had passed, the bond would have required a $0.04 per $100 assessed value levy.
Fallbrook’s Measure BB failed, with 51% opposed to issuing $56 million in bonds to fund school facility improvements in Fallbrook Union High School District, requiring an estimated property tax levy of $24 per $100,000 in assessed value.
Voters also opposed Measure SS, which would have issued $84.6 million in bonds to fund school STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) facility improvements in Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District. This would have required an estimated property tax levy of $54 per $100,000 in assessed value.
Voters also decided on several special districts.
In the Fallbrook Community Planning Group, up to eight members could be chosen. Candidates with the most votes as of Nov. 12 included Aldo Alvidres, Ross Pike, Thomas Gerald Harrington IV, Roy Moosa, Stephani Baxter, Kathie Morris, Lee J. De Meo and Jim Loge.
Voters also chose the top eight candidates for the Valley Center Community Planning Group, including Delores Chavez Harmes, Dori Rattray, Karen A. Lieber, Bob Littlejohn, S. Michelle Bothof, Mary Hope L. Hodson, Chris Barber and Tom J. Stinson.
The top three vote-getters for the Morro Hills Community Services District were Jeff Walker, Thomas Harrington III and Jeanine Roskos.
In the Pauma Valley Community Services District, voters selected Lolo Levy and Michael Esparza.
Two board seats in the Rainbow Municipal Water District were also up for election. Challenger Lisa Hoffman is leading incumbent Julie Johnson to represent Division 1 by 75 votes. In the race for a short-term Division 3 seat, challenger Greg Irvine has bested incumbent Cari Dale by nearly 400 more votes, eliminating her from contention.
