Cathedral City residents vote to uphold ban on most vacation rentals
The final results in the Cathedral City special election were released on March 18, with residents voting to keep a ban on short-rentals in residential neighborhoods.
| Candidate | Total |
|---|---|
| Yes | 5,006 |
| No | 2,940 |
| Total Votes | 7,946 |
A total of 7,953 ballots were cast out of 26,230 sent out.
A 'yes' vote on Measure B will uphold the council's decision to further regulate short term rentals, phasing out the majority by 2023.
The ban was approved by the city council on Sept. 10, 2020. Even before the vote, pro-STRs callers threatening to take the city to court over the vote and the way the motion was handled.
In December, the city moved to have residents vote on the ban.
"Yes" on Measure B has held a sizeable lead since the first election update on March 2.
First batch of results:
Yes - 3,568
No - 1,884
A statement from the 'Yes on B Committee' stated, "We are very pleased with the early election results. The Cathedral City council unanimously passed this compromise ordinance in September 2020, and the residents appear to have overwhelmingly confirmed that decision by their votes today. The Yes on Measure B campaign was run based upon factual data that could be supported every step of the way. We've said from the very beginning that Neighborhoods are for Neighbors and the residents that live here agree. STVRs have their place but not in single family neighborhoods. Despite being hugely outspent by the opposition, today we realized that David can indeed defeat Goliath."
The "No on Measure B" committee also released a statement saying, "While votes are still being counted, the No on Measure B campaign remains hopeful that Cathedral City residents will defeat Measure B and defend the livelihoods of homeowners across the city. Measure B was an extremely contentious issue that brought out heat and passion from both sides on the measure. Regardless of the result, I Love Cathedral City will continue to work with Cathedral City Council and residents throughout the next few years, and are looking forward to new ways to collaborate on maintaining a stable and fruitful economy for Cathedral City." The statement was signed by Love Cathedral City President, Boris Stark.
Statement from "No on Measure B" group: “Measure B was an extremely contentious issue that brought out heat and passion from both sides on the measure. Regardless of the result, I Love Cathedral City will continue to work with Cathedral City Council and residents throughout the next few years, and are looking forward to new ways to collaborate on maintaining a stable and fruitful economy for Cathedral City”
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
