CarpinteriaNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Carpinteria City Council Election 2026

3 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Find your match: 5-question quizSee who is on your ballot

No sign-in needed. Your answers stay on your phone.

22days to Nov 3

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters in Districts 1, 3 and 5 each elect their own councilmember; Districts 2 and 4 are not on the ballot until 2028.

Election day · Nov 3

Take your ballot with you

Candidates, positions and key dates in one email, sent now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01City budget and Measure I4 sourced facts

Where it standsMeasure I, a proposed quarter-cent sales tax, is on the November 3 ballot as the city reports a structural deficit.

What's on the tableThe next council will adopt budgets and decide how to balance spending and revenue, including how any Measure I money is used.

  • The city says Measure I would levy a quarter-cent sales tax providing approximately $700,000 annually until ended by voters. City of Carpinteria
  • The city cites a $1 million structural deficit and $2.4 million in subsidies for assessment districts, the library, senior services and other programs. City of Carpinteria
  • The council approved placing the measure on the ballot at its June 22, 2026 meeting. City of Carpinteria
  • Measure I is a general tax that needs a simple majority, and its revenue would go into the General Fund. Coastal View News · Sep 2, 2026
02Street repair3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city reports more than $24 million in deferred street and road maintenance and plans a new pavement condition analysis.

What's on the tableThe council will decide how much of the budget goes to pavement and how to balance repairs with preventive maintenance.

03Housing on the Bluffs3 sourced facts

Where it standsA proposal to convert an office building at 6185 Carpinteria Avenue into live-work and housing units had a conceptual review on July 13, 2026.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to allow residential use in the Bluffs industrial/research park zone and how to meet the state housing allocation.

04Surfliner Inn2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Surfliner Inn project and its proposed final environmental impact report were tentatively set for a Planning Commission special meeting on September 21, 2026.

What's on the tableAny appeal or further action on the project could come to the council.

05Growth and open space3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city is updating its General Plan while candidates talk about how to guide growth near beaches, bluffs and farmland.

What's on the tableThe council will shape where and how much development occurs through the General Plan update and project approvals.

3 notes on these statements

Julia Mayer is the only candidate on the District 3 ballot and is listed as the incumbent. City of Carpinteria · Aug 12, 2026

Randy Carrasco's entry on the city's certified candidate list shows no candidate statement submitted. City of Carpinteria · Aug 12, 2026

Al Clark, the District 5 councilmember, is not seeking re-election. Coastal View News · Aug 19, 2026

No sign-in · answers stay on your phone

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should the city close its structural budget deficit?

  2. 2. How should the city treat its more than $24 million in deferred street maintenance?

  3. 3. Should the city allow housing in existing buildings in the Bluffs industrial/research park zone?

  4. 4. What should the council do about the proposed Surfliner Inn hotel?

  5. 5. How should the city limit development at its edges to protect open space?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Natalia Alarcon, Wade T. Nomura3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.