{"id":6937,"date":"2026-06-13T06:01:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegorelocationnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/13\/davis-divided-on-village-farms-as-measure-v-gains-ground-trails-by-270-votes-2\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T06:01:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:01:48","slug":"davis-divided-on-village-farms-as-measure-v-gains-ground-trails-by-270-votes-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegorelocationnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/13\/davis-divided-on-village-farms-as-measure-v-gains-ground-trails-by-270-votes-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Davis divided on Village Farms as Measure V gains ground, trails by 270 votes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Measure V continued to gain ground Friday, narrowing its deficit to 270 votes and underscoring how sharply divided Davis voters remain over the proposed Village Farms development.<\/p>\n

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The ballot initiative would authorize the 1,800-unit, 498-acre project north of East Covell Boulevard. After Yolo County added roughly 5,400 ballots to its tally Friday, the measure gained a net 168 votes.<\/p>\n

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With about 1,000 ballots left to count and hundreds of signature-cure ballots still outstanding, the outcome remained too close to call.<\/p>\n

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The initiative, Measure V, was opposed by 50.6% of Davis voters and supported by 49.4%, a difference of just 270 votes.<\/p>\n

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Despite the \u201crazor-thin margin,\u201d Measure V\u2019s backers still had \u201ca sliver of hope,\u201d said Sandy Whitcomb, a member of the Village Farms development team.<\/p>\n

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Measure V was trailing by just 2.6 percentage points before the update and is now behind by 1.2. The measure was down by about 4% in the first batch of results after polls close. Its backers anticipated the early vote would not break their way, but ballots cast on Election Day would turn the tide.<\/p>\n

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Precinct-level data showed that the measure faced its steepest opposition in areas closest to the proposed development site \u2014 east of the railroad tracks and in areas of north, east and south Davis. Voters in central and west Davis generally favored the measure.<\/p>\n

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The measure\u2019s failure could worsen the financial outlook for both the city and school district, which viewed Measure V as a way to boost funding and avoid disruptive budget cuts. The Davis Joint Unified School District estimated Village Farms would bring more than 1,000 students to Davis schools and could help stave off school closures.<\/p>\n

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Davis itself faces a budget deficit projected to last for years. Village Farms developers estimated the project would add more than $1 billion to the city\u2019s property tax roll.<\/p>\n

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The debate over growth in Davis is unlikely to end with Measure V. The Willowgrove project proposes 1,250 units on a site north of Covell Boulevard and east of the Village Farms site.<\/p>\n

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Yolo County experienced higher-than-usual primary turnout, according to elections officials. A significant portion of ballots arrived on or after Election Day, which could be linked to voters waiting until the last minute to vote in the governor\u2019s race.<\/p>\n

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