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THE COAST NEWS
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SERVING NORTH COUNTY SINCE 1987
VOL. 35, N0. 14
APRIL 2, 2021
SAN O’side leaders MARCOS -NEWS oppose transit tax increases
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Levin touts relief for cities at town hall. A3 Carlsbad police probe possible hate crime. A5
City to send letter to SANDAG, NCTD THE voicing itsVISTA position
Reluctantly, Del Mar OKs housing update. A7 State-level bipartisanship shows a pulse. A8
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By Samantha Nelson
School board trustees facing election inquiry
voice in an election but was convinced otherwise by her fellow trustees that an election could still be held after the appointment. According to district bylaws, after the appointment is made notices will be posted in public areas and newspapers of the action. The public will then have 30 days to file a petition with the office of the county superintendent for a special election. “I’m looking at this situ-
OCEANSIDE — After adopting a resolution favored by a 4-1 majority of the Oceanside City Council during its March 24 meeting, city staff is preparing to send a letter to regional transportation and infrastructure agencies voicing the city’s opposition to any proposed RANCHO tax increases coming downSFNEWS the pipeline. Specifically, the letter will be addressed to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and North County Transit District (NCTD). “San Diegans already pay some of the highest tax rates in the country, including the highest sales tax, the highest gas tax, the highest income tax and some of the highest property taxes,” Councilman Christopher Rodriguez said, reading from a resolution he drafted along with Councilwoman Kori Jensen. According to Rodriguez, who also serves as the city's representative on the SANDAG board, the regional agency is considering sales tax hikes to fund its “5 Big Moves” plan, which would dramatically change San Diego County’s transportation systems. The adopted resolution states the Oceanside City Council will refrain
TURN TO APPOINTEE ON A21
TURN TO TRANSIT TAX ON A9
By Dan Brendel
SAN MARCOS — Two San Marcos Unified School District board members face investigations for allegedly failing to report sizable campaign contributions from a local teachers’ union during the 2020 election season. Sarah Ahmad and Jaime Chamberlin won seats on the school district’s board of trustees TURN TO TRUSTEES ON A10
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HORSE RACING season is scheduled to begin on July 16 at the Del Mar Racetrack, which was recently rated one of the safest racetracks for horses in the United States. As opening day nears, animal advocates and racing officials continue to keep their focus on equine athlete health and safety. Story on A3. File photo
San Dieguito school board to appoint new trustee By Bill Slane
ENCINITAS — Despite calls from both the public and student board members to hold a special election, the San Dieguito Union High School District board of trustees voted on Monday to appoint a new Area 5 representative at its upcoming April 22 meeting. The vacant seat, left by former Trustee Kristin Gibson’s abrupt departure from the district in March, leaves just four trustees on the school board. The board showed con-
cern about a possible h ig h -pr ice tag of a special election which they say could be as high as $650,000. And with GIBSON much to debate and discuss in the district, the board has opted to leave the electorate in Trustee Area 5 out of the decision. “It was a very preliminary estimate given to us
by the Registrar of Voters,” Superintendent Robert Haley said. According to numbers on the district website, Trustee Area 5 has a total population of 33,330, but just about half of that number are registered voters making it the smallest trustee area in terms of voter registration. Board President Mo Muir, along with Trustees Michael Allman and Melisse Mossy, agreed to vote yes to make an appointment at the April 22 board meet-
ing with Trustee Katrina Young voting no. “I have two mindsets. One is obviously fiscal responsibility and holding a special election especially during COVID is a huge concern,” Young said. “But we are a very divided community and there seems to be an erosion of goodwill. So it’s worth considering to make sure that all members of our community feel like they’re being heard.” Trustee Mossy also showed interest in giving the Area 5 electorate a
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