Four win City Council seats in unopposed races, both cities pass Transit Occupancy Tax increase measures

The Buellton and Solvang city elections on Nov. 5 looked strangely similar.

New mayors who were halfway through their first terms as City Councilmembers and serving as the current mayor’s second-in-command? Check! Congratulations, David Silva and David Brown.

Two City Council seats each that were transitioning to district seats, and then won by already-established City Councilmembers running unopposed? Check! Congrats, Elysia Lewis, John Sanchez, Mark Infanti, and Claudia Orona.

A city measure to increase the Transit Occupancy Tax from 12% to 14%? Check!

A rundown of our local elections decided on Nov. 5.

Buellton

David Silva, who announced his run for mayor back in June, was victorious with 52.25% of the vote (1,405 votes) as of Thursday, Nov. 21, unseating incumbent Dave King (47.34%, 1,273 votes)

It was just two years ago that Silva hit the campaign trail to win his council seat, and doing that and then running for mayor he feels he learned a lot.

“I feel like I’ve learned our community, when given the opportunity to tell us their opinion to share their thoughts and perspective, really want to be engaged,” he said on Election Night, while with supporters at California Tacos in Buellton.”They want to feel connected to the community. We have a very dynamic group of people who live here, and so that reallyhelped me shed the idea that we live in a bedroom community that just doesn’t care.”

Elysia Lewis and John Sanchez, who held the last at-large seats on the Buellton City Council, saw their seats converted into the districts that happen to live in, and ended up running unopposed for those districts, so they will be returning. For the record, Lewis received 95.73% (516) of the votes in District 2, and Sanchez got 97.37% (222) in District 3.

Buellton voters also had two ballot measures to decide and both of them passed. Measure C, Urban Growth Boundary Expansion Measure, passed with 59.20% of the vote (1,532) votes, and Measure D, City Transient Occupancy Tax Increase, that increased the TOT from 12% to 14% passed with a percentage of 54.40% (1,347 votes).

Solvang

District 3 City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem David Brown’s earned Solvang’s mayoral seat, getting 58.99% of the vote, with runner-up Jamie Baker getting 26.43%, and Denise El Amin 13.97% to finish third.

Brown will take over the mayoral seat just two years after winning a seat on council.

“It’s all very humbling,” Brown said on Election Night at Fitzgerald’s Pub in Solvang, when the first returns showed him with a sizable lead. “I wasn’t anticipating the outpouring of support, but it’s just great.”

Meanwhile, Mark Infanti, who did not seek reelection as mayor, ran unopposed for the District 1 seat that was formerly an at-large seat and got 96.78% of the vote, while fellow councilmember Claudia Orono ran unopposed for the District 2 seat (also being converted from an at-large seat), getting 96.43% of the vote. 

Like Buellton, Solvang had it’s own measure, Measure E, to increase that TOT from 12% to 14%, and it passed by a wide margin, 67% to 33%, or 2,038 votes to 1,004.

Other races

In the Santa Barbara County Board of Education Trustee Area 4 vote, Guy Walker defeated Patrina Jones, 67.70% to 30.85%

In the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Trustee Area 5, Chris Johnson won reelection with 70.76% (1,469 votes) over Joshua A. Jones (29.19%, 552)

In the race for Los Alamos Community Services District Board of Directors, four candidates vied for three seats, and the updated results showed Kristy Gnesa-Williams  (30.79%, 399 votes), Michael Nicola (23.61%, 306), and Bradley Vidro (22.92%, 297) in the lead over Peggy Golden (21.45%, 278)

The Santa Ynez Community Services Board of Directors race also had four hopefuls running for three spots, and J. Brett Marymee (30.05%, 1,029 votes), Donald Kelleher (25.99%, 890), and Frank Redfern (23.83%, 816) held the lead over Karen Jones (19.36%, 663).

The Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District had two seats contested: For Division 1 director, Robert Dunlap (70.41%, 2,641) defeated Justin M. Ruhge  (28.71%, 1,077), and in Division 3, Philip Carpenter (55.34%, 3,271) defeated Carol Redhead (43.99%, 2,600).

National Presidential Election

Media outlets across the nation called the election early Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, naming Donald Trump the 47th president of the United States. He has now cleared the election with 312 electoral votes, with Vice President Kamala D. Harris earning 226. 

In Santa Barbara County, 61.37% (109,546 votes) went to Harris and 35.06% (62,576 votes) went to Trump. 

As ballots continue to be counted, further updates will clarify final outcomes across races. Stay tuned for the latest election news as it unfolds.

Other notable results for Santa Barbara County:

U.S. Senate Race  

In a closely watched Senate race, Adam B. Schiff won over Steve Garvey with 61% of the vote (106,173 votes) to Garvey’s 39% (67,884 votes) for the full term, and then 61.15% (103,899) to 38.85% (66,002). 

U.S. House of Representatives

District 24: Incumbent Salud Carbajal retained his seat with 63.34% of the vote (109,826 votes), defeating Thomas Cole (36.66%, 63,552 votes). 

State Senate and Assembly

State Senate District 21: Incumbent Monique Limon (D) won with 65.32% (112,269 votes) against Elijah Mack (R) (34.68%, 59,617 votes). 

State Assembly District 37: Incumbent Gregg Hart (D) kept his seat with 61.82% (104,402 votes), defeating challenger Sara Domingues (38.18%, 64,471 votes). 

Key Proposition Results (Statewide) 

Prop 36 (Increases Sentences for Certain Drug and Theft Crimes): Passed with 60.79% (102,093 votes) in favor. 

Prop 35 (Permanent Funding for Medi-Cal Services): Passed with 65.93% (110,018 votes) approval.

Prop 34 (Restricts Spending of Prescription Drug Revenues): Passed with 50.01% (80,493 votes). 

Prop 33 (Expands Local Rent Control Authority): Defeated with 62.24% (104,338 votes) against. 

Prop 32 (Raises Minimum Wage): Yes votes were ahead in Santa Barbara County with 50.05% (85,235 votes), but the proposition to increase the minimum wage failed statewide with 48.9% (6,746,167) yes vs. 51.1% (7,044,192) no. 

Prop 6 (Eliminates Involuntary Servitude for Incarcerated Persons): Rejected by 51.24% (85,161 votes).

Prop 5 (Local Bonds for Affordable Housing and Infrastructure): This amendment failed with 52.95% (89,225 votes) opposed. 

Prop 4 (Bonds for Climate Risk Mitigation): Passed with 60.16% (102,695 votes). 

Prop 3 (Constitutional Right to Marriage): Passed with a strong 65.71% (112,448 votes). 

Prop 2 (Funding for School and College Facilities): Passed with 58.96% (100,006 votes). 

Feature Image: Solvang Mayoral Candidate David Brown (left) relaxes with supporters at Fitzpatrick’s Tavern in Solvang on Election night. Brown won the election and will be Solvang’s next mayor.