OCEANSIDE — The city is asking voters to approve an additional half-cent sales tax to help pay for several costly capital improvement projects, including a new police headquarters, a fire station and major shoreline restoration efforts.
The Oceanside City Council unanimously approved placing the measure on the ballot on June 24.
If approved, the tax would be added to Oceanside’s existing half-cent sales tax, Measure X, which voters first approved in 2018 and renewed for another 10 years in 2024.
Over the past eight years, Measure X has funded road improvements, after-school and youth prevention programs, and homelessness initiatives.
While city officials say Measure X has been successful, they argue it and other revenue sources are insufficient to cover hundreds of millions of dollars in critical infrastructure needs.
Among the city’s largest projects is a new police headquarters, estimated to cost about $100 million.
The Oceanside Police Department has operated for the past 25 years out of a former grocery store, intended only as a temporary headquarters until a permanent facility could be built. Since then, the department has outgrown the space.
“The need is evident for anyone who’s been in there,” said Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa.
The city also needs an estimated $75 million to replace the pier bridge, the concrete structure connecting the Oceanside Pier to land. The bridge will turn 100 next year, reaching the end of its expected lifespan.
Another major expense is RE, the city’s shoreline restoration pilot project aimed at addressing long-standing coastal erosion. The project would install two artificial headlands at Tyson and Wisconsin Street beaches, along with an offshore artificial reef designed to retain sand along the coastline. The estimated $60 million project remains unfunded.
The city also needs about $35 million to construct Fire Station 8, which has operated out of a leased commercial space for more than a decade.
In addition, Oceanside is responsible for at least 25% of the San Luis Rey River Flood Control Project’s cost, which is expected to exceed $200 million. While the city has set aside $30 million for its share, officials estimate it still needs at least another $20 million.
Expanding the city’s roadway paving program would also cost an estimated $5 million to $8 million annually.
“The city doesn’t have enough,” City Engineer Brent Gossman said.
Gossman said the proposed sales tax would not be the sole funding source for those projects. The city already has funding allocated for some of them and plans to continue pursuing state and federal grants.
Like Measure X, the new tax would be overseen by an independent citizens’ oversight committee.
If approved, the measure would increase Oceanside’s sales tax rate to 8.75%. Other North County cities with 1-cent local sales taxes include Escondido, San Marcos, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Elsewhere in San Diego County, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Chula Vista and National City have also approved 1-cent local sales tax increases.
Several residents spoke against the measure, saying many households are already struggling with rising costs.
Some urged the city to further reduce spending or identify alternative funding sources.
Mary Ellen Reese suggested police and fire personnel use pension funds and political action committee money to finance construction of a new police headquarters and fire station, then lease the facilities back to the city.
“Your pension funds will make money,” she said, adding that Oceanside residents wouldn’t have to pay the brunt of the costs this way.
Diane Nygaard said a sales tax is “one of our most regressive taxes.”
“People who are least able to pay are hit the hardest,” she said.
Nygaard also suggested that, given the current economy, it would not be wise to ask voters to pay more.
According to city surveys and polling conducted over the past year, staff estimates the proposed half-cent sales tax would receive between 54% and 58% voter approval. Because it is a general tax, the measure requires a simple majority to pass.
Some speakers argued that the city has mismanaged Measure X revenue, though officials said there is no evidence to support those claims.
“We’re an extremely conservative city in terms of how we manage our funds,” said City Manager Jonathan Borrego. “If you look at our staffing levels, we’re a very lean operation compared to other cities.”
Mayor Esther Sanchez echoed that sentiment, noting the city has yet to return to staffing levels seen before the Great Recession.
“We are a really, really lean city,” she said.
Borrego encouraged residents to meet with city staff, including himself, to better understand the city’s financial needs and how it manages public funds.
Others spoke in favor of the measure, including Save Oceanside Sand CEO and President Bob Ashton, whose organization advocates for coastal resilience and beach restoration.
Chris Wilson, an Oceanside firefighter and paramedic, also supported the proposal. While he said he sympathizes with residents facing financial hardship, he argued additional funding is needed to keep pace with the department’s growing call volume.
“Every year, our calls for service increase dramatically,” he said.
Without adequate staffing and equipment, Wilson said first responders will be unable to reach emergencies quickly, “which could, in the end, be a difference in someone’s life.”
