Oceanside voters will decide in November whether all city public works projects should hire workers at “prevailing wages,” which generally means the projects would use union labor.
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The Oceanside City Council voted 4-0 earlier this month to place the proposed city charter amendment on the ballot, even though one council member, Rick Robinson, voiced reservations. He said the provision could put local contractors at a disadvantage, but that issue was for the council to “work through later.”
Councilmember Peter Weiss left the meeting before the June 3 vote, but previously opposed the council’s request for staffers to draw up the proposed ballot measure and present it for consideration. Critics of the policy say it can increase the costs of public projects and shut out smaller contractors.
More than a dozen local labor union members and representatives spoke to the council in support of the measure. No one from the public opposed it.
“The proposed amendments consist of updates to make sure the City Charter matches current state law governing grant funding eligibility … (and) to better ensure that the City will not be disqualified … from receiving state funding for public works projects,” states a staff report.
San Diego County adopted a prevailing wage policy in 2022, and Chula Vista approved one in 2023.
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The San Diego Registrar of Voters Office has estimated it will cost Oceanside between $95,000 and $125,000 to place the measure on the ballot. So far, it is the only citywide measure approved for the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
The seats in City Council districts 1 and 2 also will be on the fall ballot in Oceanside. The official filing period for candidates to submit signed nomination papers is July 13 through Aug. 7.
District 1 Councilmember Eric Joyce and District 2 Councilmember Robinson have both formed committees indicating they intend to run for re-election. Both are finishing up their first term on the council.
One person, Michael Cline, has filed campaign committee documents with the Oceanside City Clerk’s Office indicating he also will run in District 1, which covers the northwest quadrant including most of downtown.
In District 2, the city’s northeast quadrant, only Planning Commissioner Emily Gonzales has filed campaign documents with the city clerk. Also, longtime resident Oscarin Ortega has created a website announcing his intentions to run in District 2.
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