Three Encinitas City Council candidates say the same tension that drove the city's 1986 incorporation still defines its politics: how to manage growth while keeping the community's character intact.
The North Coast Current, which first reported the candidates' responses, emailed all council and mayoral candidates asking them to reflect on the city's most pressing issues in the context of its 40th anniversary. Three of four council candidates replied. Neither mayoral candidate responded.
Voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to fill one District 3 seat, one District 4 seat and the mayor's office.
The founding argument, revisited
Encinitas incorporated on Oct. 1, 1986. Proponents at the time argued that local control over growth was the central reason for cityhood, according to the North Coast Current's reporting on historical coverage in The Citizen newspaper.
Marjorie Gaines, who won a seat on the city's first council, told a 1986 forum audience that development decisions "are made by people who don't live in this area." Four decades later, all three responding candidates echoed that concern, though California's housing laws have shifted the landscape.
Where the candidates stand
Arielle Golden, a community organizer running for the District 3 seat, identified zoning control and housing affordability as top priorities. Golden wrote to the North Coast Current that rising land values and stagnant wages have made it harder to buy or rent in Encinitas. She also called street safety a critical issue, citing preventable traffic deaths and the need for better pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Brad Lefkowits, a small business owner and chair of the city's Urban Forest Advisory Committee, is challenging Councilmember Marco San Antonio for the District 4 seat. Lefkowits emphasized that new development is straining streets, infrastructure and public services. He called for leaders who welcome scrutiny and treat public participation as an asset, writing that council members have too often dismissed community advocates instead of addressing their concerns.
San Antonio, who was appointed to fill the District 4 vacancy after Mayor Bruce Ehlers won the mayor's office, focused on resisting state housing mandates. He wrote that protecting Encinitas requires "an uncompromising defense of local control," including standing against state laws he said override voter-approved protections such as Proposition A. San Antonio also listed road maintenance, storm drainage, coastal erosion and wildfire preparedness among his priorities.
The fourth council candidate, Ed Sprague, a retired firefighter running for District 3, did not respond to the North Coast Current's request. Neither did Ehlers or mayoral challenger Rimga Viskanta.
Common ground, different emphasis
All three responding candidates agreed that growth should respect the city's character and residents' interests, according to the North Coast Current. Golden focused on affordability and traffic safety. Lefkowits stressed infrastructure and government accountability. San Antonio zeroed in on state mandates and infrastructure investment where those mandates apply.
According to the city's election page, the Nov. 3 election covers one mayor's seat for a two-year term and two council seats, Districts 3 and 4, each for four-year terms.
Ballot drop-off locations accepting ballots through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 include the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library at 2081 Newcastle Ave., the Encinitas Branch Library at 540 Cornish Drive and the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce at 535 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 116.
