The city of San Diego’s ballot measure to tax empty second homes failed by about a 7-point margin, according to the unofficial results from the June 2 primary election. While supporters characterized Measure A as tax on the wealthy, how it performed in different areas of the city indicates home ownership across income levels may have been the strongest factor driving a vote against it. Roughly 53.2% of votes cast were against, compared to 46.8% in support, with just under 21,000 votes separating the two as of Monday. If approved, the measure would have taxed about 5,100 properties across the city that are vacant by choice for more than half the year: $8,000 for 2027 then increasing every year, intended as a way to create more housing by pushing owners to sell or rent. Rancho Bernardo and La Jolla were among the communities that opposed Measure A by the widest margins. But so were areas like Encanto and Chollas Park, communities in Southeast San Diego, which has historically been underserved and where average home prices generally trend lower than in other areas to the north that also voted against Measure A. In looking at city council districts, the data shows how Measure A performed was inversely correlated with homeownership. The areas with some of the strongest support for Measure A included North Park and Hillcrest, which are both in District 3. District 3 has the lowest level of homeownership of any district at 36.8% and voted for Measure A by the highest margin: 62.5% in support. In each district, as the rate of homeownership rises, the support for Measure A falls proportionally, through District 5, which includes Rancho Bernardo, has a homeownership rate of 76.3% – the highest in the city – and where only 38.9% of ballots cast were in favor of taxing second homes. “I don’t think it was just for the wealthy. No way,” said Tiffany Lanore, who lives in Encanto. She said her family owns multiple properties, including an inherited home that sits empty, so she convinced her family to vote against Measure A. “I was like, ‘What? There is no way they’re going to do me like this. It’s just too much,’” she said. “We go over there, we keep it clean and together, but it just sits. And I don’t want to pay all of that because nobody wants to live there.” “It’s my house, I’m paying the yearly taxes,” Lanore continued. “That’s all that should matter, right?” “We need the stock, the housing stock to be available for people to rent,” said Kathleen MacLeod, who also lives in Encanto and voted in favor of Measure A. “I know at least one neighbor who owns eight houses – eight – and keeps them vacant, refuses to rent them out, and people are struggling to get housing.” “I’m disappointed,” MacLeod continued, “I’m not surprised. You got all the ads that came out… downplaying what was really behind it.” Proponents of the measure have criticized realtors, who spent heavily to defeat the tax. Still, about 60% of votes in Encanto were against Measure A, in District 4, which has about a 60% homeownership rate. It’s a similar story in Chollas Park, where Charles Buchanan was shopping Monday. He owns rental properties, he said, and was worried about paying that tax if he was unable to find a tenant. “I can’t afford it,” Buchanan said. “They don’t take into account that I’m just a guy that got lucky when I was young and bought some property, and now I’m trying to make it work for me for my retirement.” “You know, right now you’re just living,” he continued. “And with a tax like that, it’s almost like saying we don’t want you to do well. So I had to vote against that and prayed that everyone else did too.” The rejection of Measure A also came on the heels of an ultimately failed plan to implement paid parking at Balboa Park, and the rollout of a ballot measure requiring homeowners to pay for their trash pickup that was the subject of a lawsuit over fees higher than what was advertised. “It sucks. I don’t like none of their finances,” Lanore said. “I don’t, because they try to charge us to park and that was like, ‘No, no, we’re citizens here. We live here.’” Lanore said there was nothing San Diego could do to regain her trust on leaders’ handling of the city’s finances, facing massive structural deficits after another tough budget season of cuts. On that, MacLeod agreed. When asked if the city has her trust, she replied simply, “No.” ...read more read less