Measure R

City of Oceanside Prevailing Wage & Fair Competition Charter Amendment

Measure R would amend Sections 301, 302, and 303 of the Oceanside City Charter to conform to state laws and best practices regarding prevailing wage and fair competition, including the use of project labor agreements for City public works with mandatory provisions for taxpayer protections, transparency, and accountability in the contracting process. This will preserve the City's ability to continue receiving state infrastructure funding for public works projects.

This measure requires approval by a majority of voters voting on the measure to pass.

Fiscal Impact: Measure R is likely to increase City costs of projects due to revised prevailing wage requirements, but it is not clear by how much.

Next San Diego County Measure: Measure S

See Endorsements for Measure R
Background

As adopted, the City Charter generally exempts the City from state laws regulating public works contracting except as provided by ordinance or by agreement approved by the City Council, limiting the requirement to pay prevailing wage and the ability to enter into public works contracts that require one or more provisions commonly associated with PLAs.

After the Charter was adopted in 2010, the California legislature passed Senate Bill 7 and Senate Bills 922 and 829 which generally disqualify local governments from receiving state funding for public works projects if they do not align with state laws governing prevailing wage and fair competition.

While the City has maintained its qualified status for state public works funding based on interpretations that state law and the Charter can be reconciled, that can easily change in the future. 

Proposal

If approved, Measure R aligns the City Charter with state law and eliminates possible inconsistencies that generally operate to disqualify cities with charter provisions exempting prevailing wage and PLAs from receiving state funding for local infrastructure projects.

Source: Measure R Impartial Analysis

San Diego County Election Resources

City of Oceanside Election Resources