Six candidates will compete for three Hermosa Beach City Council seats on Nov. 3, and voters will also decide a sales tax measure aimed at closing a multimillion-dollar budget gap.
The city's official nominee list names Eric Horne, Elka Worner, Raymond "Ray" Jackson, Rob Saemann, Maggie Bove-LaMonica and Councilmember Dean Francois. Voters will pick up to three.
The nomination period opened July 13 and closed Aug. 7.
Measure HB returns
Measure HB would add a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax increase to fund city services and infrastructure, according to the city's Sept. 10 newsletter. The city said it will post additional details on its website before the election.
The measure carries a familiar name. A similar Measure B failed in November 2022, with 55% voting no. Voters rejected a three-quarter-cent Measure HB by an even wider margin in November 2024, the Hermosa Beach Review reported. Each would have generated roughly $3 million a year.
The fiscal pressure behind the latest attempt is real. The city faces a $3.2 million structural deficit projected to grow to $4.2 million within five years, the Hermosa Beach Review reported. Rising labor costs, escalating county contracts for fire, lifeguard and beach maintenance services, and aging infrastructure are driving the gap.
"It won't be about doing more with less," City Manager Steve Napolitano told the council at the May 26 meeting, when staff presented revenue options. "We're already doing that every day."
Francois, the lone incumbent in the race, opposed the 2024 sales tax measure, according to the Hermosa Beach Review. His stance on the new version has not been reported.
What's ahead
The city's Capital Improvement Program includes 28 active and pending projects with a combined budget of roughly $36 million, according to the Hermosa Beach Review. Total unmet capital needs could exceed $90 million and approach $220 million.
The next Hermosa Beach City Council meeting is Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers. Residents can contact the City Clerk's Office at (310) 318-0204 or [email protected] for election information, or visit lavote.gov for voter registration and ballot drop-box locations.
