Two Solana Beach City Council seats will be filled without a contest on Nov. 3 after no challengers emerged before San Diego County's filing deadlines closed.

Councilmember Kristi Becker, first elected in 2018, is set to win a third term representing District 2, which stretches west of Interstate 5 to the coast. Business owner Jenna Wolfe-Dellamano will take the District 4 seat covering most of the city east of I-5, replacing Deputy Mayor Jill MacDonald, who chose not to seek reelection.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Aug. 16 that because MacDonald did not file, the county extended the District 4 deadline from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12 at 5:30 p.m. No additional candidates came forward.

MacDonald was elected in 2022 and has served as deputy mayor over the past year. Her departure opens the seat to Wolfe-Dellamano, whom the city's election page lists as a business owner.

Residents who want to challenge either candidate can still file as write-in nominees beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Becker's priorities for a third term

Becker has made local control over land-use decisions a centerpiece of her platform. In May, when she confirmed her reelection bid to The Coast News, she said state housing mandates threaten to change the character of Solana Beach neighborhoods.

"I support sustainable progress – the kind that ensures land use decisions enhance our quality of life," Becker said at the time.

She has said she is focused on building affordable housing only where it is compatible with existing city infrastructure.

Hotel tax on the same ballot

While the council races lack drama, voters will still have a consequential decision: a ballot measure to raise the city's transient occupancy tax from 13% to 14% on hotels and short-term rentals.

The Solana Beach City Council voted 4-0 on July 15 to place the measure on the November ballot. MacDonald was absent but submitted a letter of support. The current 13% rate has been in place for about 20 years.

City Manager Alyssa Muto told the council the additional revenue, projected at roughly $250,000 per year, would fund improvements along Coast Highway 101, sand replenishment, neighborhood projects and the public arts program. A city survey found 71% of residents support the increase.

The Solana Beach Chamber of Commerce also backed the measure in a letter to the council.

The write-in nomination period opens Sept. 8, giving residents one more window to enter either council race before the Nov. 3 election.