San Clemente voters to decide on 1% sales tax for beaches, fire prevention

San Clemente residents will vote Nov. 3 on a 1 percent sales tax increase projected to generate $15 million annually for beach sand restoration and wildfire prevention, after the City Council unanimously placed the citizen-led initiative on the ballot May 5, according to Voice of OC.

The vote comes as San Clemente's shoreline faces severe erosion requiring between two and nine million cubic yards of sand to restore to a width of 250 feet — a gap that city officials say far outstrips current funding, and one that sets the OC coastal city apart from neighbors that have long prioritized sand nourishment.

The initiative was authored by Planning Commissioner Cameron Cosgrove, who spent six months gathering signatures from registered voters. More than 7,000 signatures were collected before the council's May 5 vote to certify the measure for the November ballot.

"We had thousands of conversations with residents, and those conversations turned into something very consistent, which is a shared set of community values," Cosgrove told the council. "I heard, loud and clear, that residents want to feel safe in their homes. They want their neighborhood to be protected. They want to know that their kids are safe in their schools."

If approved, the tax would lift San Clemente's sales tax rate from 7.75% to 8.75% — one cent on every dollar spent. Proceeds would be split evenly, with half directed toward sand placement and other beach projects, and half toward wildfire prevention including vegetation removal, fire-resistant planting and a goat-grazing program, according to Voice of OC.

City Manager Andy Hall said the city would continue pursuing state grants and federal partnerships regardless of the ballot result, but described the funding environment as bleak. "The state right now is in worse fiscal condition than when we started this project," Hall said at an April 21 council meeting, according to Voice of OC. "We need to start finding revenue sources."

The November vote is San Clemente's second attempt at a dedicated beach funding stream. A similar 0.5% sales tax measure fell short in November 2024, receiving 64.62% approval but failing to clear the required two-thirds supermajority. This year's initiative needs only a simple majority. The city is also pursuing a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expected to deliver two million cubic yards of sand over five decades through a 50-50 federal cost-share arrangement.

In 2024, the city spent $2 million to truck in 40,000 cubic yards of sand to North Beach on an emergency basis. Hall called it a start but noted the shortfall remains enormous. Resident Mike Kay, who directs the city's goat-grazing wildfire prevention program, said the decision carries lasting consequences. "This is a crucial decision that our town must make — a fundamental one that will change our town one way or another," Kay said at an April council meeting. "People need to be informed."

If the measure clears a simple majority on Nov. 3, city officials say San Clemente could move more quickly on sand restoration and wildfire mitigation projects that advocates say the community can no longer afford to delay.