Melinda Orbach, left, and Gerry Jensen led four candidates in the race for Capitola City Council. (Contributed)

CAPITOLA >> Gerry Jensen and Melinda Orbach led a field of four candidates for two Capitola City Council seats in preliminary election results 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Capitola sales tax hike Measure Y glided to passage with about 67.3% of the vote. Central Fire’s bond Measure R was falling short of the 66.7% approval needed with 57.1% of the vote.

Santa Cruz County election results are expected to be updated this month, with certified results due in early December.

Capitola sales tax Measure Y results

Measure Y asked Capitola voters whether to raise the city’s sales tax to 9.25% from 9%. If adopted, it is expected to bring in an estimated $2.2 million annually starting in 2025. 

It would add to the more than $8 million that the city’s General Fund receives from sales tax revenue each year. The city’s General Fund is roughly $20 million.

The tax increase also would help stave off a projected $2 million budget shortfall in 2029 and contribute to a project to stabilize Cliff Drive — although the money could be used for any General Fund purpose.

Read more about Measure Y in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.

Central Fire Measure R results

Capitola voters also weighed in on Measure R, which asked whether Central Fire could sell $221 million in bonds. Central Fire’s district includes much of mid-Santa Cruz County, including Capitola, Soquel, Aptos, Live Oak, La Selva Beach and Rio Del Mar.

Measure R needs more than two-thirds of the vote to be adopted. Proposition 5 would have lowered the threshold for bond measures like Measure R to 55% voter approval. California voters rejected the proposition in the Nov. 5 election, according to the Associated Press.

If Measure R is adopted, property owners in the district would pay about $30 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually for 30 years or until the bond is paid off. The average annual cost for homeowners would be about $200, according to a Central Fire report.

The money could be used to:

• Build or repair fire stations in Soquel, Capitola and La Selva Beach.
• Buy land for new or relocated fire stations.
• Build or repair department staff offices, training rooms and other facilities.
• Buy land for, and construct, a training facility for firefighters and other first responders.
• Buy fire engines and other equipment.

Read more about Measure R in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.

Capitola City Council election results

The Capitola City Council is a five-member body that creates city laws, sets the city’s budget and oversees the city’s police, fire, parks and community services. The council also appoints members to city, county and regional boards and commissions.

Jensen, 56, has been a Capitola planning commissioner. Orbach, 40, is a family nurse and the sole council candidate that lives on Capitola’s westside.

On the campaign trail, Jensen said he supported passenger rail in Capitola and added, “We need to look at what that cost impact is to the community,” including operations.

Orbach said she wanted more housing to be built in the city and to “increase density in a way that makes sense for our community and allow for more zoning code updates that would encourage that type of density.”

See Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide for more information on the four Capitola City Council candidates vying for two seats.

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