Shaffer, Kranz and Muir elected to Council, Propositions K and L pass

ENCINITAS — This election season saw nine candidates vying for three Council seats. 

In the end, political newcomer Lisa Shaffer received the most votes.

“I am honored by the election results,” Shaffer said in a written statement. “We worked hard, told the truth and played by the rules.”

Shaffer said she believes open government and “sensible growth” were likely the top issues for local voters.

Current Councilman Mark Muir and Tony Kranz, who unsuccessfully ran for Council in 2010, picked up the two remaining seats.

Shaffer secured 23.2 percent of the votes, while Kranz took in 18.5 percent and Muir got 14.3 percent, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Kranz and Muir could not be reached for comment by press time.

Mayor Jerome Stocks, who has served on Council for more than a decade, finished in fourth with 12.7 percent. Barb Yost finished next in polling with 10.2 percent.

Voters also weighed in on how Encinitas chooses its mayor.

Previously, a mayor was elected via a Council majority vote, one of the few cities in San Diego County to do so.

Propositions asked voters whether they’d like to select a mayor with a direct vote beginning in November 2014 (Proposition K), and whether the mayor’s term should be for two years (Proposition L) or four (Proposition M). Ultimately, residents approved propositions K and L, leaving residents to elect a mayor for a two-year term next election.

Proposition K passed with 56 percent in favor and 57 percent of residents approved Proposition L, according to smartvoter.org.