OCEANSIDE — Measure X will return to the ballot this year in a city proposal asking voters to extend the half-cent sales tax for another ten years.
The tax funds public safety, infrastructure, and other community needs.
Oceanside voters first approved the city’s collection of its half-cent sales tax for seven years in 2018. The tax went into effect in April 2019, raising the city’s sales tax to 8.25%. Since then, the city has collected between $13 and $18 million annually through the tax.
According to the city, the revenue has been used solely to improve road conditions, modernize city infrastructure, enhance public safety, aid in addressing homelessness and expand youth programs, among other needs requested by residents.
Assistant City Manager Michael Gossman noted some of Measure X’s accomplishments include repairing over 560 lane miles of streets; construction of the new Fire Station 1 in the downtown area; a new fire training tower; beachfront improvements; creating an EMT program and medic squad; expanding the police department’s community service officer program; reducing crime; funding a second Homeless Outreach Team; transitional bridge housing; family reunification; funding El Corazon’s Park Site 1, and serving over 1,400 youth with services and programs.
However, the measure is set to expire in April 2026, and the city sought City Council approval to extend the tax until 2036. The council unanimously supported putting the measure on the November ballot.
The city hired True North Research to determine the likelihood of voters passing the measure again. According to the firm’s findings, the measure would likely pass with between 67% and 73% of voter approval.
Jared Boigon, a partner of TeamCivX who presented the findings on behalf of True North Research, noted that the average sales tax in California cities is 8.68%. Meanwhile, Oceanside’s is only 8.25%, even with Measure X.
Multiple residents, including many fire personnel and other city first responders, also spoke in favor of extending Measure X.
“I encourage you to put this back on the ballot so we can say we love Oceanside again,” said Colleen O’Harra, chair of the Citizens Oversight Committee that oversees the Measure X spending plan.
Several individuals noted they would like to see more specific intentions behind what the measure will fund and asked for additional opportunities for community input to influence those decisions.
Gossman noted that the sales tax is a general tax and not a specific tax, which would otherwise require more than a simple 50-plus percentage of voter approval. Still, the city is able to prioritize what needs it would like to address with the sales tax – having previously prioritized public safety, infrastructure and other previously stated community needs as well.
Gossman added that the city has a spending pledge that lays out what it currently uses Measure X funds for and would refresh that plan if voters were to approve an extension.
“The priorities of the community change over time,” he said. “We should take a fresh look at that spending pledge and plan to, if (Measure X) is extended.
While Measure X has already accomplished a lot for the city, Councilmember Rick Robinson acknowledged there is still more work to be done.
“Right now we have a lot of catching up to do,” Robinson said.
Before joining the City Council, Robinson served as the city’s fire chief for six years. During that time, he saw firsthand how both the fire and lifeguard divisions could improve staffing numbers, received new equipment and generally improved the quality of life for both residents with response times and the quality of life for its first responders.
“These individuals were working in buildings and fire stations that were really falling apart around them, and you never knew if the fire apparatus was going to break down,” he said, describing life before Measure X.
Despite the hiccups, he continued, first responders, made up for the gaps to continue serving the community, but their quality of life and work balance was negatively impacted in the process, and the city began to lose personnel to other municipalities.
“Thanks to Measure X, a lot of that has stopped,” Robinson said. “If you talk to (first responders), their quality of life is better, they’re able to spend more time with their family,” he said. “When you lose firefighters to other departments, you have to fill those gaps – these men and women were working extra to do that, that’s why you don’t notice the difference.”
Mayor Esther Sanchez said that without Measure X, the city would likely see response times affected along with other service cuts. She also noted that an extension of Measure X would help the city achieve its goal of finding a new headquarters for the police department.
“We’re finally getting close to that,” she said.
Councilmember Peter Weiss highlighted that the city needs Measure X funding to continue funding new parks and other city buildings as development impact fees begin to drop.
“Measure X provides the opportunity for those types of improvements to occur,” he said.
According to staff, Measure X is projected to generate approximately $19 million in revenue annually if extended, or $190 million over the 10-year extension period.
A “yes” vote would pass the Measure X extension on the November ballot.
