Six Hermosa Beach City Council candidates drew sharp lines on beach ownership, short-term rentals and city spending at their third and final debate Monday, Oct. 19.

Eric Horne, California director of Megafire Action, proposed what no other candidate would touch: transferring the city's beach to Los Angeles County if county demands for lifeguards and maintenance reach $4.5 million a year. He cited Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, which already gave their beaches to the county, the Hermosa Review reported.

The other five candidates said Hermosa Beach should keep its beach. The split framed a forum that also exposed disagreements over how fast to regulate short-term rentals and whether to use artificial intelligence in policing.

Three council seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot. Incumbents Dean Francois, Ray Jackson and Rob Saemann face challengers Horne, school board member Maggie Bove-LaMonica and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Elka Worner.

Short-term rentals

The longest exchange centered on short-term rentals. A Los Angeles Superior Court ruling in March struck down the city's ban in the coastal zone, and the council majority voted to gather data before writing new rules.

Horne said he would reverse that pause and begin hearings immediately. He proposed a citywide cap, block-by-block density limits, a surcharge tax, dedicated code enforcement and a two-year licensing bar for owners who evict tenants for gut renovations.

Bove-LaMonica said Manhattan Beach held seven public hearings before setting its policy. Hermosa Beach held none. She said 4% of coastal-zone housing has already converted to short-term rentals and called Saemann, a former planning commissioner, "the architect of the plan that got us into the lawsuit."

"I've yet to meet a single resident who said, I want a short-term rental next to me," Jackson said.

Francois called the opposing argument "fear-mongering" and said the California Coastal Commission requires citywide data first. He backed a six-month timeline. Worner agreed the city needs data before regulating, estimating about 50 active rentals, but said Manhattan Beach's 2022 court loss should have been a warning.

The candidates also disagreed on the city's earlier Coastal Commission application. Saemann said it was rejected as incomplete for lack of local data. Jackson said it was withdrawn.

Budget and sales tax

Five of the six candidates support Measure HB, a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot projected to raise about $2 million a year, the Daily Breeze reported. Francois, the lone opponent on the council, predicted it would fail a third time after voters rejected sales tax measures in 2022 and 2024.

Horne listed about $700,000 in proposed cuts, including $370,000 in police overtime savings through data-driven scheduling, AI prescreening of building permits and $50,000 in landscaping. Worner called for fewer consultants, shared services with neighboring cities and a hiring freeze on nonessential positions. Bove-LaMonica said if the tax fails, the city should pursue a hotel tax and an independent audit of staffing and spending.

Jackson said the city has a structural deficit and needs open budget conversations with residents starting in January. Worner fired back, asking why Jackson, who has sat on the council's finance subcommittee since 2021, had not raised a red flag sooner.

AI and City Hall

On artificial intelligence, most candidates pointed to faster permitting. Horne said he would bar AI from police drones, surveillance and facial recognition. Francois proposed using AI for press releases and eliminating the public information officer position.

Saemann gave the most pointed answer on City Hall, defending the building against calls for demolition. He said a consultant the city paid "hundreds of thousands of dollars" recommended tearing it down, but that with proper repairs it could last decades.

Horne, who served on the city manager's advisory group studying the building, countered that the problems are real: the police evidence locker has leaked and female officers use a locker room in a hallway.

Leadership Hermosa Beach sponsored the forum. Voters go to the polls in November.