Local advocates are hoping to tackle the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis with additional funding expected from a bump in sales tax across the county.
The “Protect San Diego County’s Health and Safety Act,” if approved by voters in the Nov. 3 General Election, would increase the sales tax by a half-cent in San Diego County for health and safety priorities, including the Tijuana River sewage crisis, public safety, healthcare and children’s healthy development.
According to the county measure, it would establish a special fund to be maintained by the county, of which 22.5% would be used to mitigate health impacts and pollution in coastal waters. The measure notes that at least 20% of the revenues generated would be used for projects to stop untreated flows from entering the United States through the Tijuana River Valley, including the expansion of sewage treatment infrastructure.
The Registrar of Voters certified the measure on May 25 after advocates submitted more than 151,000 signatures on May 4, according to a press release that month issued by the measure’s campaign organizers.
According to the registrar’s certification, proponents of the measure are Crystal Irving (president of SEIU Local 221), Billy Tomasello (vice president of the San Diego County Firefighters Cal-Fire Local 2881) and Courtney Baltiyskyy (president of Children First San Diego).
Baltiyskyy said proponents of the measure have been working tirelessly on addressing issues in the measure for years.
The initiative, according to the release, is supported by the San Diego County Hospital Association, First 5 San Diego, American Academy of Pediatrics CA Chapter 3 and groups which proponents are part of.
The measure, the release continues, includes independent oversight, public disclosure of all spending, and annual audits.
“The conversations with the state and federal governments isn’t going to stop, but after decades of impacts to communities with the pollution crisis, it’s time for San Diegans to do something for San Diego by San Diego,” said Baltiyskyy. “In this scenario, we all pay a little, and San Diego wins a lot. What we cannot afford to do is to not do anything. This funding, when bonded, will give us significant leverage for sustainable solutions.”
According to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the current sales tax rate in Coronado is 7.75%. If approved, the half-cent increase would increase the rate to 8.25%.
Imperial Beach resident Leon Benham, a contractor who also leads Citizens for Coastal Conservancy, told The Coronado News he is opposed to the measure because based on past spending practices, it won’t effectuate change.
“The half cent generates for the Tijuana River about $80 million a year,” said Benham. “That’ll be administrated through a 12 member board. Who will be part of the board? And it’s 80 million every year. When does it terminate? … I don’t need a board, which is probably gonna be a lot of these NGOs, and these board members are gonna make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, just like SANDAG.”
Mark Kersey, president and CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, said the association will not convey a position until its board weighs in on the county sales tax measure in late July.
“As with all proposed taxation measures, our primary concerns are the relative burden on taxpayers, the quality of the spending plan for the new money, and citizen oversight to monitor how well those tax dollars are being spent,” said Kersey in a statement.
Supervisor’s plan for District 1
For years, untreated flows have entered the United States affecting South Bay communities like Imperial Beach and Coronado with continuous beach closures, exposure to malodors and public health impacts.
According to Baltiyskyy, a number of projects listed in Minute 333 and Minute 328 for the U.S. side will be supported by the measure’s funding.
“There are a lot of short term, intermediate, longer term projects that will be supported by this funding when we pass it,” said Baltiyskyy.
On July 10, Supervisor Paloma Aguirre released a plan, the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis Funding Allocation Analysis, showing how millions annually could be used to address the pollution.
The plan details a 10-year timeframe for a permanent, county-funded treatment infrastructure.
The plan’s spending analysis falls within the limits intended for the crisis from the measure, which looks to dedicate up to 60% of funds to health and family programs, 17.5% to public safety services and 1.5% to administrative services, it says.
According to Aguirre’s office, about $49 million – or 61% of roughly $80 million a year – would service bonds converting annual revenue into an estimated $475 to $520 million to build capture and treatment infrastructure. Aguirre’s office said the remaining 39% would fund recurring operations such as air quality and public health, operations and maintenance, sediment and trash removal, habitat restoration, and independent oversight.
The plan asserts any expenditure would require approval by the Board of Supervisors through the public budget process. The plan does not advocate for or against any ballot measure and does not state the position of the Board of Supervisors.
To date, the plan notes federal officials have secured more than $650 million for upgrading and expanding the international treatment plant.
“I wanted to make sure that we put forward a plan on how the money would be spent, and on what,” said Aguirre. “It could be an extension of the (IBWC) plant. It could be a standalone, separate plant. It could be the South Bay Reclamation Plant, which is owned by the city of San Diego. … The most important thing is the end goal of that infrastructure would be to capture and treat what’s coming through the river.”
In May, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer expressed support for the measure, before its certification, on the day organizers submitted signatures to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
“As Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, I am proud to support this citizen’s measure because it takes direct action on the urgent issues our communities are facing right now — stopping toxic sewage pollution from the Tijuana River, protecting access to affordable healthcare and preventing cuts to our hospitals and clinics, and strengthening 911 emergency response and wildfire preparedness,” said Lawson-Remer in a statement. “These are core public safety and public health responsibilities, and this measure will help ensure the County can protect every San Diegan.”
The following month, the board authorized the measure on the ballot for the Nov. 3 statewide general election in a 3-2 vote with Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voting no.
Before the board approved the measure for voters via a resolution, Desmond said he will not be supporting this tax and proposed the board consider an impact report.
Desmond said he does not believe the timing is right for a half-cent increase in sales taxes.
“The cost of everything is already way too high,” he added. “It’s a forever tax … The Tijuana River definitely needs to be dealt with, but I do think we got to be putting the pressure on Mexico.”
According to the county, the measure requires a majority vote to pass.
In July, Baltiyskyy said the measure’s campaign committee will host voter education opportunities in the future.
