The coast news 2013 12 13

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94

THE COAST NEWS

.com

MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

VOL. 27, NO. 50

DEC. 13, 2013

Current Mayor Teresa Barth,right, will continue serving as mayor for the next six months, with Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar, left, taking over the position for the remaining six months. Photo by Jared Whitlock

TAKING THE BEACHES Marines on Camp Pendleton take part in an annual exercise dubbed “Steel Knight.” See page A13 for the full story. Photo by Rachel Stine

Plan could save cities money on elections By Bianca Kaplanek

COAST CITIES — A proposal by county Supervisor Dave Roberts that could save some cities perhaps $100,000 on special elections won’t currently benefit his hometown of Solana Beach, which will pay about $200,000 for a February vote on rules to govern Fletcher Cove Community Center. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its Dec. 3 meeting to ask state lawmakers

to allow mail ballots only for certain elections in general law cities. “Two of the five communities in my district — Encinitas and Solana Beach — each had issues where I felt they didn’t have the options they should have to make a decision,” Roberts said. “What I want to do is give them an option.” The county’s 2014 legislative program, which provides policy direction for San Diego’s

Educator of the year

Two Sections, 52 pages

Oceanside middle school teacher Christina DeSanto is this year’s educator of the year. B1

Arts & Entertainment . A16

Distinguished honor Carlsbad resident and Rancho Santa Fe Fire Engineer receives department honors. B1

Food & Wine . . . . . . . . B12

Citing personal reasons, Encinitas Fire Chief Jon Canavan resigns after two months on the job. A6

By Jared Whitlock

advocacy efforts in Sacramento, already included a recommendation to allow mailballot special elections in general law cities for California Senate and Assembly seats, something currently precluded by state law. The suggestion came in response to a recent special election to fill a seat vacated when former state Sen. Juan TURN TO ELECTIONS ON A20

Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A23 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A18

Deliberation ends with two mayors splitting one term

DAVE ROBERTS

HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 Calendar: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com Community News: community@coastnewsgroup.com Letters to the Editor: letters@coastnewsgroup.com

ENCINITAS — A council meeting to elect the mayor for a one-year term ended in a twist — Mayor Teresa Barth and Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar will each take the position for six months. This was the last time a council majority voted on who gets the mayor nod. Proposition K passed in the last election, meaning Encinitas residents will elect a mayor for a twoyear term next November. Before the council vote, Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar said whoever is chosen as mayor at Tuesday’s meeting would likely have an advantage over other candidates going into the 2014 election. “The decision tonight, I believe, extends beyond appointing the mayor for the next year,” Gaspar

said. “It extends into the 2014 election, whether we want to admit the elephant in the room or not. To me, we have the ability as leaders to really take the politics out of that decision and do what’s right for the community.” Gaspar, whose council term ends next year, said she hasn’t determined if she’s going to run for mayor. Because she might enter the race, she declined to be nominated for the 12-month position. “Anyone who is selected tonight should make a similar pledge — if they have not made that decision, they should not serve the city as mayor,” Gaspar said. Barth, whose council seat is also up in 2014, said she too has yet to decide if she’ll run for mayor. She TURN TO MAYORS ON A9


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