Recapping 2024’s top regional issues

This year was filled with twists, turns as the year was dominated by the election, along with the sagas at SANDAG and the county, American Airlines and changes to homeless approaches

NORTH COUNTY — As 2024 comes to a close, here are the top four regional issues of the year. Many issues came up, but several stood out as the biggest drivers for the region, particularly North County residents. The election was the biggest by far as several new candidates won their races for City Council, school and water boards, along with high-profile races for supervisor and congress.

Also, the arrival of American Airlines exploded into one of the biggest discussions when it was announced the world’s largest airline would come to Carlsbad. McClellan-Palomar Airport has been under fire from residents for years for various reasons, but American Airlines is ready to commence service on Feb. 15, although it still needs county approval.

Other top regional issues include the sagas at the San Diego Association of Governments and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Both made waves for various reasons with the supervisors currently navigating the resignation of Chairwoman Nora Vargas.

While there were individual stories respective to each issue, I lumped many of those into the same category, such as SANDAG, the county and homelessness.

On Sunday, I will break down some of the top stories for each city, along with the fun side of North County with my favorite profiles of individuals, businesses and other stories on Tuesday.

Also, drop a comment here or on social media about these or other issues you see as the most pressing. Let’s get to it.

1. The Election

Obviously, the election was the top story of the year. There razor-thin races, blowouts and new faces election to city councils, school boards and more. However, residents grew frustrated with the pace of counting votes by San Diego County, which took weeks to complete and certify.

Regardless, the closest mayoral race was in Oceanside where incumbent Mayor Esther Sanchez eeked out her re-election over former Councilman Ryan Keim by just 232 votes. Sanchez will be joined by neophyte Jimmy Figueroa along with Peter Weiss, who also won re-election.

Other high-profile races include Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer blowing out former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and a new look City Council in Encinitas, where Councilman Bruch Ehlers, along with Luke Shaffer and Jim O’Hara, won and gave the city a new direction. Another new face is Danielle LeBlang in San Marcos, who won her race for the seat of Sharon Jenkins, who termed out.

Also, voters approved one-cent sales tax increases, or an extension in the case of Oceanside, in San Marcos and Escondido, while a sales tax measure failed in Encinitas. Del Mar was able to approve a sales tax on short-term rentals as well.

However, voters were not sold on the half-cent sales tax increase to fund transportation projects through the SANDAG. Perhaps the biggest ballot measure, Prop. 36, won in a blowout as about 70% of statewide voters approved the measure to overturn the controversial Prop. 47 to reform property and drug crimes, along with addressing homelessness.

2. American Airlines

Whoa boy. The announcement of American Airlines beginning service out of McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad in February ignited a passionate debate between residents who want another commercial operator versus those who see the airport as a nuisance. The airport is owned by San Diego County.

Some residents have been railing against the airport’s master plan for years, while the cities of Carlsbad and Vista have made attempts to derail American Airlines from operating at the airport. The Carlsbad City Council approved new codes and zoning regulations, along with citing the Conditional Use Permit, as ways the county cannot, or should not, allow another commercial operator. The Vista City Council passed a non-binding resolution opposing the airport.

Opponents cite the noise, early departure time (6:15 a.m.) and size of the Embraer E-175 jet, among others. They say the county is violating the CUP as Carlsbad as local control over any “expansion” of the airport.

However, the county is standing firm, citing the master plan, a 2021 court ruling about the master plan and federal law as the reasons American Airlines has a right to service the airport. The lease agreement is expected to go before the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 8, but the resignation of Chairwoman Nora Vargas may complicate the matter. The lease must have four “yes” votes to pass.

North County Pipeline conducted polls and reviewed social media posts (not in any way scientific) to understand a sense of where residents stood on the issue.

A Reddit poll showed 286 votes with 227 in favor (79.37%) of American Airlines followed by 11.19% against and 9.44% not sure. A poll on the North County Pipeline Instagram page had 65 votes as of Thursday with 83% in favor, 12% no and 5% not sure. Several hundred comments in Facebook groups and on NextDoor showed overwhelming support as well.

At the Dec. 11 supervisors meeting, about 400 residents sent letters in opposition to the lease compared to about 80 letters in support, according to county staff.

3. SANDAG

Former Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz made waves over the controversial rail corridor in July. The corridor has been an issue for years, especially in Del Mar with continued concerns over bluff stabilization. Kranz, as have other residents, was the first board member to suggest moving the entire rail line along the Interstate 5 corridor and be done with it. Kranz’s idea sparked passionate discussion as the SANDAG Board of Directors continues looking at ways to make commercial rail service a primary mode of transportation and address safety.

The beleaguered agency was also subject to an FBI investigation, announced in March, although the full scope was never disclosed to the San Diego Association of Governments. It is believed by many the investigation centered on the disastrous handling of the State Route 125 toll road.

What is known is part of the investigation was into the agency’s contracts, how those contracts were executed and the growing amount of money being approved for those contracts. The former independent auditor, Mary Khoshamshrab, conducted an investigation and it revealed many concerning practices and information.

Many contracts had no signatures, left the “amount” line blank and the top 30 vendors increased their revenue by $290 million, leaving many residents shocked at the scope of the audit. The audit also found other concerning elements leading the board and the agency to institute new procedures and protocols for contracts.

4. San Diego County

A bombshell ripped through the county last week when Chairwoman Nora Vargas announced she will not take her oath on Jan. 6 and is resigning due to concerns over her personal safety and security. It’s the second supervisor to resign from office in two years as former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher resigned due to sexual assault and harassment allegations from two women in spring 2022. A third came forward months later after an instructor at the University of California, San Diego and county contractor who was assisting the UCSD student in her case was fired by the county.

Vargas was under fire for years and was a target of vitriol from a contingent of public speakers, several of whom would yell, scream and use profanity directed at Vargas.

However, Vargas was also subject to two racial discrimination claims against her and her office — both by Asian men. One, Michael Vu, claims Vargas used racial discrimination during his application to become the chief administrative officer of the county. The CAO is the highest non-elected position in the county and handles day-to-day operations.

Vu also claims Lawson-Remer would support his candidacy if Vu hired Paul Worlie, Fletcher’s former chief of staff, as Vu’s No. 2 at the county. Vu said he declined the offer.

Speaking of the CAO position, the supervisors hired Ebony Shelton, which North County Pipeline was the first to report on May 24 after a tumultuous, vicious and heated campaign by labor unions and other Democrats officials to hire former Santa Clara Supervisor Cindy Chavez.

Chavez’s candidacy came to light in 2022 and was exposed in the fallout of the Fletcher scandal. According to La Prensa, Chavez had a secured a 4-1 vote to be the next CAO, but the supervisors hit pause as the scandal unfolded. It was later revealed, The Coast News (my reporting) of the connection between Chavez, Fletcher and Fletcher’s wife, Lorena Gonzalez and Chavez receiving campaign donations from Fletcher and Gonzalez.

When the supervisors restarted, it was alleged Vargas was not supporting Chavez. The issue exploded in May when labor unions protested and shut down a supervisor’s meeting for 30 minutes.

There were also concerns over what appeared to be privileged information leaking from closed session, such as Chavez having won a 4-1 vote, among other details. Finally, Shelton emerged as the new CAO.

Immigration has also become a lightning rod for the county as the board recently passed a new policy prohibiting any cooperation with federal officials and not allowing federal officials to use county resources. San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, though, said her department will follow what’s in place according to state law as the department will not change its practices with the new policy, which was brought by Vargas.

4. Homelessness

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Grants Pass case changed the landscape for how cities across the country, especially in California, can tackle homelessness. While advocates and non-profits fear of more “criminalization” of the homeless, others want those individuals to follow local laws, seek services and treatment.

Carlsbad, Escondido, San Marcos and Vista all addressed new policies regarding the issue to varying degrees.

Escondido’s ordinance prohibits homeless encampments on public property and more enforcement toward encampments to protect city waterways, parks and public spaces. It also creates protocols to give 24-hour notice to homeless individuals when an encampment will be cleared.

San Marcos approved a homeless encampment ban on public property even if shelter is available. Those spaces include streets, alleyways, parking lots, sidewalks, open space, parks and waterways owned by the city.

San Marcos’ ban also bans people from living in their vehicles parked on public property. Fines are not mandatory.

The Vista City Council had a passionate and, at times, explosive discussion in August over reinstituting the city’s total encampment ban, which was first passed in 1968. Under the ordinance, it defines camping as using public property for sleeping, preparing to sleep, living, storing personal property and sleeping in vehicles.

However, there may be issues regarding preventing a homeless individual or family from sleeping in their vehicles. The city of San Diego settled a class-action lawsuit in February for $3.2 million over its ordinance banning people from living in their vehicles.

The state, though, came under intense public outrage and scrutiny when it was revealed $24 billion directed to the homeless issue over the past five year was unaccounted. During those years, homelessness increased.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was the fault of the cities for not accounting for the money, which was met with skepticism from city officials and others. The issue also came to a head during the March primary with Prop. 1, which at first was expected to easily pass but only passed by about 26,000 votes.

Prop. 1 will issue “$6.38 billion in bonds to fund housing for homeless individuals and veterans, including up to $4.4 billion for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment facilities and $2.0 billion for housing for homeless persons,” according to the measure.

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