Rally against city of San Diego Measure A on April 1
East County News ServiceMarch 31, 2026 (San Diego) -- Leaders from across San Diego County will gather at San Diego City Hall tomorrow (April 1) with a serious message: “Don’t Be Fooled,” with a press conference and rally to mark the official launch of the "No on Measure A" campaign.
Measure A or the "No-Primary Homes Tax" is on the June 2 ballot and asks voters to weigh in on taxing owners of properties in the city that sit empty for more than half a year.
If passed, Measure A would impose an $8,000 annual tax on more than 5,000 residences deemed "non-primary," and would increase to $10,000 in 2028. Corporate owners would face a $4,000 surcharge on top of the base tax.
The rally, which begins at 11 a.m. at City Hall at 202 C St., includes No on A spokesman Shane Harris; Mark Kersey, President & CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association; Karen Van Ness, President of the San Diego Association of Realtors; Abdur Rahim Hameed, President of the National Black Contractors Association; and Rick Gentry, Former San Diego Housing Commission CEO.
Those opposed to the measure saying that the tax money wouldn't go to a housing fund but into the city's General Fund, that similar measure in other cites had almost no effect on housing construction or on lowering rents, and that a similar tax from 2022 in San Francisco was declared unconstitutional and unenforceable two years later.
"This is about honesty," Harris said ahead of the rally. "The court has already caught the city trying to use misleading language. On April Fool's Day, we are telling San Diegans: read the fine print. This isn't what they say it is."
Proponents of the tax say the measure could bring $24 million to the city. They also say the tax would discourage corporations, out-of-state investors and absentee owners from keeping homes vacant during a housing shortage and encourage vacant homes to be used as homes again. They say that those who make their homes available for San Diego families to rent or buy pay nothing and that only those who keep homes empty pay a tax.
The court weighs in
The measure itself has already undergone a court-ordered facelift. Last Thursday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Blaine Bowman said that the city’s original branding of the proposal as an “Empty Homes Tax” was fundamentally misleading.
Bowman noted that under the proposed law, a home could be occupied for 182 days — nearly 50 percent of a 365- or 366-day year — and still be subject to the tax.
Bowman ordered the title be changed to the “City of San Diego Non-Primary Homes Tax” and mandated that the word “non-primary” replace “empty” in all official ballot summaries and analyses.
The legal challenge has been led by former San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman (District 7, which boundaries include San Carlos, Allied Gardens and Del Cerro). Of note, current District 7 San Diego City Councilman Raul Campillo was the lone council member to oppose the measure on March 3 when it came before the elected officials to vote on its ballot inclusion.
Campillo is a former prosecutor and San Diego Deputy City Attorney and has raised alarms regarding the city’s legal exposure. His background in law fueled his skepticism about the measure's ability to withstand constitutional challenges — concerns that were echoed by the California Apartment Association, which warns the tax may violate state laws like the Ellis Act.
Proponents have said that revenue would solve some of the city's most pressing needs, but Bowman ordered the city to trim phrases like “housing and infrastructure” from the ballot question. The court confirmed that the estimated $24 million in annual revenue would actually flow into the city’s General Fund, where it could be spent on any municipal expense without restriction.
San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, the architect of the measure, says the tax is a vital tool to force what has been referred to as "home hoarders" to release units back into the market.
In January, leaders from the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council said on their social media platforms that, "San Diego's housing crisis is a class issue. While 10,000+ homes sit empty or as mini-hotels, the working class is priced out,"
Stephen Russell, President and CEO of the San Diego Housing Federation, has shared publicly that he views the measure as a necessary nudge to convert second homes into attainable housing for hardworking residents.