Coronado City Council candidate Andrew Gade wants San Diego County to dedicate 1% of its annual budget to solving the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
Gade, a small business owner, laid out the proposal at a Wednesday, Sept. 9 candidates forum hosted by the Coronado Democratic Club. His response was published in the Coronado Eagle & Journal as part of the paper's forum series for the two open council seats.
"I propose we earmark 1% of the County's budget, bond against that revenue, and then we can finally fund a permanent solution now!" Gade said in his forum statement.
The proposal would tap the county's general fund rather than wait for new tax revenue. San Diego County's adopted fiscal year 2026–27 budget totals $9.16 billion, according to the county's open budget portal.
Gade did not detail how the city would compel the county to make the earmark. He framed it as a matter of legal obligation, saying the county "has the resources, and a legal obligation to protect our health and safety."
The proposal comes as the county increases its own sewage spending. On Sept. 1, the Board of Supervisors approved $5.8 million in a 4–1 vote for design and engineering work on Tijuana sewage infrastructure, as Coronado Times reported.
That money funds planning, not construction.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said the county's long-term plan hinges on bonding against roughly $80 million a year in secured revenue to raise close to $1 billion for treatment infrastructure, according to the Coronado Times. As we reported Sept. 10, the county envisions a billion-dollar fix.
A separate countywide half-cent sales tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot would generate roughly $360 million a year if voters approve it. Supporters project 22% of that revenue would go toward Tijuana River pollution solutions, according to the Coronado Times.
Coronado beaches were closed 169 days from 2023 to 2024, according to San Diego County's Beach and Bay Program. In 2025, the city had unsafe water quality 256 days out of the year, according to Emerald Keepers, a local environmental nonprofit, as the Coronado News reported.
The Coronado City Council first declared a local emergency over cross-border sewage in March 2025 and has renewed it roughly every 60 days since. The council was scheduled to extend the declaration again at its Tuesday, Sept. 15 meeting, according to the meeting agenda.
Gade is one of four qualified candidates for the two open seats. The others are appointed Councilmember Kelly Purvis, aviator and business owner Ricky Hoyt, and attorney Rebecca King, according to the city clerk's candidate roster.
Gade, who owns San Diego Tint in La Mesa, serves on the Coronado Fourth of July Board and the city's Mobility Committee. He described himself as "an honest independent" in his forum response.
Vote-by-mail ballots go out Monday, Oct. 5. The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 19, and the general municipal election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
