San Diego Chargers Stadium Measure Fails Badly at the Polls

SAN DIEGO -- Measure C, a ballot initiative that would have raised hotel room taxes in order to help pay to build a new stadium for the Chargers in the city's downtown failed miserably at the polls on Election Day, failing to garner even 44 percent of the vote, far less than the two-thirds majority it needed to pass.

The measure would have increased San Diego's hotel room tax rate from 12.5 percent to 16.5 percent, with the proceeds going toward funding a new $1.8 billion stadium and convention center. The tax increase would have raised $1.15 billion, with the team and NFL responsible for the remaining $650 million.

But voters rejected the idea, with several telling Patch that they voted against it.

Justin Nguyen, 22, of Tierrasanta said he was worried by Measure C.

"I don’t like how football teams in general stranglehold the city to make stadiums for them," he explained. "But, on that same note, I think if the hotels and hotel tax really will pay for the stadium and all that and they keep up to their words, then I think there’s nothing wrong with that for the stadium.”

The potential use of public money to build the facility was an issue for some voters.

"I don’t think that we should have to pay for it. I think there are other ways to pay for it," said Treigh Mulvaney, 47, of the Carmel Valley area said of the stadium.

However, another voter, Shon Hayes, 42, of Mount Hope, expressed support for the measure.

“I’m not a fan of the Chargers, but think should have a stadium and they should stay and we should work with them," Hayes said. "And I think they should make our downtown more nicer than it already is. If it brings if more tourists, let’s go for it.”

The measure's failure leaves open the possibility of the NFL team moving to Los Angeles, something the teams has been exploring for some time. Last year, the Chargers and Oakland Raiders purchased land in the Los Angeles County city of Carson and announced their intention to jointly build a stadium that would be financed with private money.

However, the NFL rejected their proposal in favor of a competing one by the then-St. Louis Rams, who moved back to Los Angeles earlier this year after more than two decades away.

In rejecting the Chargers-Raiders stadium deal however, the NFL gave each team a one-year window to exploring moving in with the Rams at their Inglewood facility.

In January, Chargers owner Dean Spanos agreed to an optional deal with the Rams to share the new $2.6 billion stadium being built in Inglewood, contingent upon the Measure C vote.

On the morning of Nov. 9, the team's website posted a letter to fans, with Spanos thanking the ones who supported the measure, but also expressing uncertainty over the team's future.

"In terms of what comes next for the Chargers, it's just too early to give you an answer, he wrote. "We are going to diligently explore and weigh our options, and do what is needed to maintain our options, but no decision will be announced until after the football season concludes and no decision will be made in haste."

Patch reporter Alexander Nguyen contributed to this article.

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