Carlsbad approves Prop. H reform language; City Treasurer resigns
The City Council will vote on approving a ballot measure to reform funding thresholds and add exemptions for public projects; Election for treasurer after resignation
![The Carlsbad City Council will address adding the City Treasurer position to the general election and discuss reforms to Prop. H during today’s meeting. File photo The Carlsbad City Council will address adding the City Treasurer position to the general election and discuss reforms to Prop. H during today’s meeting. File photo](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F599bd3b2-3668-42a0-9c0c-2a22e43e1ff5_1200x823.jpeg)
CARLSBAD — The City Council is poised to approve changes regarding funding public projects through a public vote.
The council will discuss Tuesday proposed reforms to Proposition H, which prohibits the city from spending more than $1 million in city funds to acquire or improve real property unless approved by voters. Prop. H was adopted by voters in 1982.
Also, the City Council is also expected to declare a vacancy for the city treasurer.
Now, though, the city will go to voters to amend Prop. H and establish a new monetary threshold of $3.09 million, add an inflation index to the limit and exempt public safety facilities. The City Council approved the proposed reforms during its June 11 meeting after a recommendation from the Growth Management Citizens Committee.
The council first discussed Prop. H reforms in May.
As for the cost of the measure, Liliana Lau of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters told the city via email it will be between $135,000 to $175,000 based on 80,793 registered voters.
“There are several election-related bills that are currently with the Governor awaiting his signature,” her email reads. “Those bills, if approved by the Governor, will affect election costs as they add increased complexity and cost to the administration of elections. We don’t have all the jurisdictions that will be ultimately participating in the election. The Registrar of Voters assign election costs in a consolidated election through the use of a weighted average method.”
Carlsbad Finance Director Zach Korach said the city would use the Construction Cost Index since most of the projects are related to construction. He said the new $3.09 million limit is adjusted for inflation from 1982.
“The majority of future-planned construction projects that would be subject to Proposition H exceed $10 million,” he added. “If resources become constrained, bringing the limit up to a higher level it might come into play more frequently than what we are speculating today, where we have five or six projects that are in excess of $10 million.”
Some residents, though, are questioning the exemption of public safety facilities. Diane Nygaard wrote a letter to the council asking why those should be exempt when public safety represents the largest percentage of the city’s annual budget.
![The Carlsbad City Council is expected to approve a ballot measure to reform Prop. H, which was approved in 1982. Courtesy image The Carlsbad City Council is expected to approve a ballot measure to reform Prop. H, which was approved in 1982. Courtesy image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa88db30b-5c30-4e38-9678-25825136fc1a_571x290.png)
Korach said those public safety facilities include law enforcement, fire rescue, lifeguard, emergency medical and operations and training for public safety employees.
Nygaard also asked the council to require a separate vote for each proposal. For example, in 2002 voters approved the Alga Norte Aquatic Center, open space and trails, the Safety Training Center and the extension of Cannon Road.
She said some residents felt the ballot measure was disingenuous as the swim facility and open space and parks were used as leverage over the voters to approve the training center and Cannon Road.
Nygaard also requested the city require ballot statements for future funding based on the maximum amount of authorized expenditures rather than the minimum. She cited cost overruns for The Crossings at Carlsbad, which was about $40 million over budget, although the swim center saw savings of more than $10 million.
“Public safety, typical of most cities, receives the largest share of the city budget,” she wrote to the council. “It is not in the public interest to exempt what could be the largest area of expenditure from the oversight that occurs with requiring a vote of the people. It is reasonable for these facilities to also be subject to a vote of the people.”
City treasurer
On June 6, City Treasurer Craig Lindholm announced his resignation effective June 14. The City Council is expected to approve a vacancy for Lindolm’s seat during today’s meeting. Lindholm joined the city as treasurer in 2013 and re-elected in 2022.
According to city code, “if a vacancy is declared by the City Council with 25 months or more remaining in the term from the date of the declaration of vacancy, the City Council shall fill the vacancy by calling a special election to be held on the next established election date not less than 114 days after the declaration of vacancy.”
The city treasurer's office performs cash management duties and implements an investment program for the city and all of its agencies, including the Carlsbad Municipal Water District. The city requires certain qualifications to hold office and those include a four-year college degree with a major in business administration, public administration, accounting, economics or finance.
Others include four years of financial work experience, a valid certificate from the California State Board of Accountancy to practice as a certified public accountant; or a valid Chartered Financial Analyst credential or a certificate in Investment Performance Management from the CFA Institute; or a valid Certified Investment Management Analyst certification from the Investments & Wealth Institute; or a valid Certified California Municipal Treasurer designation from the California Municipal Treasurers Association.
The election will be consolidated into the Nov. 5 general election with an estimated cost of $100,000 to $130,000 for the treasurer’s race. The treasurer’s seat is a citywide election, while voters in D2 and D4 have their respective elections.
The D2 race features Maureen Muir and Kevin Shin, while the D4 race pits incumbent Teresa Acosta against challenger Greg Day. The filing period for all three opens next month and runs through mid-August.