It’s easy to split the six people running for Encinitas city elected positions into two categories.

One group of three people  — a candidate in each of three races — supports a city-sponsored, 1-percent sales tax measure that’s on the Nov. 5 ballot; believes Encinitas needs to continue its recent policies of working with the state on housing issues; and has been endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party.

The other group, which also contains one candidate in each of the three races, opposes the sales tax measure, saying the city should be doing a better job of managing its money; argues that Encinitas also needs to do much more to fight state housing mandates; and has been endorsed by Reform California, a group that’s “dedicated to taking back our state from the far-left politicians and special interests.”

The mayor’s post — a two-year job — and two four-year City Council spots are on the ballot. The city’s voters also will determine the fate of Measure K, the proposed, 1-percent sales tax ballot measure.

District 1 (the north coastal region of Leucadia) Council race:

Appointed incumbent Allison Blackwell, 60, is running against Luke Shaffer, 44, a La Costa Canyon High School coach. She’s been endorsed by the Democratic Party, and has supported the sales tax ballot measure, saying, “no one likes to pay taxes, but taxes are an investment in fixing our roads, drainage (and) public safety.”

“I believe we can best respect community character by not looking backward, but by trying to shape the change that inevitably happens,” Blackwell said in an interview, adding that “one thing I’ve learned over many birthdays” is that it’s better to work with change, rather than fight it.

For his part, Shaffer, who is not related to former Encinitas Councilmember Lisa Shaffer, said he thinks the current City Council isn’t “fighting at all” when it comes to the recent state mandates that have resulted in many massive housing projects now being built in town.

“The current council is sitting there, saying their hands are tied,” and giving “zero thought” to combating what’s coming out of Sacramento, he said.

Shaffer opposes the sales tax ballot measure, saying the city ought to “look at all other options before burdening our residents and businesses with more taxes, especially when trust in how our local government spends is low.”

District 2 (the central coastal region, including Old Encinitas) race:

Jim O’Hara, 50, the owner of the Race San Diego L.L.C., is facing off against Destiny Preston, 34, an assistant deputy director of planning for the California Transportation Commission. O’Hara, who opposes the sales tax ballot measure, said he believes the city needs to do a better job of managing its money.

“I think the problem has been that they’ve chosen to overspend at times” on some projects, he said, adding that he supports the city’s recently opened Pacific View Art Center, but believes the $10 million land purchase and the multimillion-dollar building renovation could have been done far more cheaply.

One key difference between him and the other candidate in the race is that he’s lived in Encinitas for 25 years and she’s a newcomer, O’Hara said. His candidate paperwork also notes that he’s the candidate that’s been endorsed by the city’s firefighters’ association.

Preston moved to Encinitas in 2022, but said she doesn’t consider herself a newcomer because her relatives have lived in the area since 1994. She cites her government experience, both at her job and as an appointee to a county Community Action Board and as an advisory board member to a state Coastal Conservancy program, as one reason to pick her as a candidate. She also mentions that the Democratic Party and the Sierra Club have endorsed her campaign.

“I’m experienced public service and I’m committed to being inclusive,” she said.

She supports the sales tax ballot measure, saying the money is “needed to make progress on a long list of infrastructure projects.”

Mayor’s race

In the mayor’s race, Councilmember Bruce Ehlers is running against incumbent Mayor Tony Kranz. Ehlers, 65, was elected to represent council District 4 — the New Encinitas and Olivenhain region — in 2022, but had an extensive city government experience prior to that point. He twice served on the city’s Planning Commission and has been a leading voice in the city’s growth-control movement, including authoring the city’s Measure A “Right To Vote” initiative.

He believes Encinitas shouldn’t pursue the sales tax measure at this time, and stresses that the city ought to push back harder against state mandates and fight “excessive development.”

“Local control, not Sacramento control, is the key to protecting our community character,” he wrote in a Union-Tribune candidate form statement.

Kranz was elected mayor two years ago after serving as a City Council member for a decade. He argues the city needs to work with the state on housing issues to stay in compliance with state law, and “avoid being sued by the state and housing advocates, which would be expensive and very unproductive.” Kranz also has strongly supported the sales tax ballot measure.

“The revenue from the measure will allow for doubling the amount of money the city spends to repair our roads; install storm water pipes to improve the quality of water that ends up in our lagoons and ocean; restore beach sand; and keep parks, trails and recreational facilities clean,” he wrote in his Union-Tribune candidate statement.