This story was most recently updated at 12:35 a.m.

The redistricting measure put on the Santa Barbara County ballot by the Board of Supervisors was passing in semi-official election night results, while a competing measure was thoroughly defeated, according to the County Elections Office.   

Both redistricting measures would create an independent redistricting commission to draw boundaries for the five-member Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, but the measures differ in who would be eligible to serve on the commission and how they would draw the boundaries.

Measure H is an initiative placed on the ballot after the group of people behind it collected enough signatures, while Measure G was created and approved by members of the Board of Supervisors in response to the initiative.

Measure H had 32.8 percent approval, and 67.2 percent of voters saying no, in semi-official results posted late Tuesday night by the County Elections Office. 

Measure G had 52.3 percent approval, and 47.7 percent opposed. 

Both proposed measures would require commission members to be residents and registered voters in the county, and differ on several other requirements.

Measure H creates a five-member commission, with one person from each district, and Measure G creates an 11-member commission, with the first five selected in a random drawing (one from each district) and the rest appointed by the first group.

If both measures passed, the one with the highest votes would win, and if both failed, the process wouldn’t change from the current system, in which elected supervisors draw the district boundaries.

Santa Barbara decides to switch to even-year elections

In semi-official election night results, city of Santa Barbara voters overwhelmingly supported the proposal to switch to even-year elections.

Santa Barbara is the only city in the county to hold odd-year elections for its City Council members and turnout in those odd years has been “at least 25 percent less than the average voter turnout in the city for the previous four statewide general elections,” according to City Attorney Ariel Calonne’s analysis.

Tallies from the County Elections Office showed 70.5 percent of voters saying yes to the change, and 29.5 percent saying no.

If a majority of voters approve the change, one set of council members will serve a longer, five-year term to bridge the gap between an odd-year and even-year election.

The other city measure asked voters whether to put the switch to district elections in the City Charter. By-district elections are already happening, and the court order that made the change from at-large elections is binding for the city, whether or not district elections are a charter amendment, according to Calonne.

Late-night results showed 75.2 percent of voters in approval of the measure, and 24.8 percent opposed.

Measure C would, if approved, require the city to hold special elections to fill council vacancies, rather than appointing replacements.

Big pay raise for Goleta’s City Council

Goleta City Council members currently receive a stipend of $7,020 a year to serve on the governing body, but Measure W would significantly increase that.

Voters were supporting the measure, according to semi-official election night results, with 63.4 percent saying yes and 36.6 percent opposed. 

The proposal would pay the four council members 75 percent of the nonfamily household median income for the city (which in 2016 was estimated to be $81,389) and pay the mayor 90 percent of the median income.

Council members are also eligible to receive medical, dental and vision insurance coverage through the city.

The city’s Public Engagement Commission, which supported the measure, said the low pay could be a barrier to entry for some people who would otherwise be interested in running for City Council.

Santa Maria voters support Measure U sales tax increase

Santa Maria’s Measure U sales tax increase, was passing easily with 71 percent approval in semi-official election night results. 

Measure U would extend and increase the previously-approved quarter-percent sales tax, boosting it to 1 percent to raise money for governmental services.

If approved, Santa Maria’s sales tax would become 8.75 percent, similar to other cities including Santa Barbara, and the increase is expected to raise $18 million for the city. 

“We are humbled and grateful about the early returns,” said Mark van de Kamp, public information manager for the city. “This mirrors our community survey polling results from early this year, and the campaign message resonated with our community. We appreciate the confirmation of our public service and will meet the challenge to maintain and enhance city services.”

The original Measure U passed in 2012 with 63.95 percent approval, and would remain in place until 2021.

Allan Hancock bond measure failing in preliminary results

The Allan Hancock College Measure Y, which asked voters to approve $75 million in bonds, was falling short of its required 55-percent approval to pass, according to semi-official election night results, with just 44.8 percent of voters saying yes. 

“We are disappointed in the early results,” said Hancock President/Superintendent Kevin G. Walthers, in a statement late Tuesday night.  “The need is still critical for our students. We remain committed to helping our students succeed, but we will need to find ways, as a community, to support them with 21st century facilities and technology.”

The community college district includes the Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Ynez and Cuyama valleys.

Since the community college district will cancel $34 million in unspent funds from Measure I, which was approved in 2006, the 2018 bond would allocate $41 million in new money for a fine arts complex and other improvements to the campus.

Sales taxes, cannabis taxes, school bonds and more

Other local measures on Tuesday’s ballot include sales tax increases, cannabis business taxes, and school district bond measures and parcel taxes. The sales tax increases and cannabis business tax measures require majority approval to pass. 

Click here to view the semi-official election night results for Santa Barbara County. 

Carpinteria’s Measure X, a 1.5-percent sales tax, had 55-percent approval, enough to pass. 

Goleta’s Measure Z, a cannabis business tax, had 81.9 percent approval, passing easily.  

The cannabis tax Measure D in Lompoc had 75.7 percent approval, and Solvang’s Measure F cannabis tax had 80.3 percent approval. 

Buellton Union School District’s Measure A parcel tax would levy a tax of $99 per parcel per year for eight years, and would raise an estimated $250,000 per year for restoring music programs, enhancing science, technology, engineering, math and arts, and maintaining small class sizes, according to the dsitrict.

It needs two-thirds approval to pass and semi-official election night results show it short, with 60.4 percent approval.   

For the third time in two years, the Lompoc Unified School District has asked voters to back a bond with Measure E, to sell $79 million in bonds for a list of repairs and modernization projects.  

Measure E requires 55 percent voter approval to pass and preliminary election night results had the bond failing, again, with 48.6-percent approval. Previous bond measure attemps in June and in 2016 were rejected by voters. 

While Measure E drew support from the community, it also faced significant opposition with signs from both sides populating the Lompoc Valley.

Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story. 

— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.