About 62.21% of San Clemente voters were against Measure M, which would increase sales tax by 1% to generate funds for sand placement, beach projects and wildfire prevention, as of 8:05 p.m. on election night.
In order for the tax to pass, 50% of the total voters need to be in favor.
According to initial returns on Election Night, the “no vote” was ahead by just over 4,100 votes.
It comes after San Clemente residents narrowly voted down a sales tax increase in the November 2024 election. It needed a 66.7% approval rate to pass as a city-backed initiative, and it only received 64.62% “yes” votes.
The current sales tax is 7.75%, and the measure would bump it up to 8.75%, ultimately setting aside 1 cent for every dollar spent within the city. Staff estimates this could earn up to $15 million annually.
Half of the funds generated by this sales tax would go to beach restoration projects like sand replenishment, while the other half would go to wildfire prevention efforts like the city’s goat grazing program.
It comes amid San Clemente’s battle with coastal erosion as city leaders grapple with what they’ve called a yearslong failure to replenish their beaches.
The city has faced Hurricane Marie in September and Tropical Storm Rachel in October, declaring states of emergencies, along with impacts from El Niño and the Kelvin wave.
Erosion has also impacted the Pacific Surfliner, the railway along the coast. This includes closures and damages to the line, causing Orange County Transportation Authority to declare an emergency declaration to add sand and boulders to stabilize the railroad.
Those boulders have also contributed to erosion along the city’s coastline, leading to many complaints from city leaders that efforts to protect the rails are coming at the expense of the city’s coast.
However, an expected 450,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed in San Clemente after the El Niño season by Orange County Transportation Authority.
