Hermosans Elect 2 New City Council Members; Approve Hotel Tax Increase

Hermosa Beach voters ousted an incumbent City Council member in Tuesday’s election and selected an environmentalist and attorney to take over the two available seats.

Former City Council man Jeff Duclos, an environmentalist who lost by seven votes as an incumbent in 2013, and newcomer Justin Massey, an environmental attorney, prevailed against incumbent Peter Tucker, who lost his bid for a fourth term.

Voters also approved moving the city’s hotel bed tax rate from 10 percent to 12 percent, passing Measure H with an 84.8 percent of the vote.

Massey, who grew up in San Clemente and lives in HB with his wife and two young daughters, took 30.21 percent of the vote at 1,523, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar’s online statistics. Duclos, who owns his own public relations firm and has raised his family for 36 years in the city, snagged 29.53 percent with 1,489 votes cast for him.

City Clerk Elaine K. Doerfling and City Treasurer Karen Nowicki, who each ran unopposed, received 1,374 and 1,360 votes, respectively.

Kenneth A. Hartley and Trent Larson took 13.55 and 9.42 percent of the vote, respectively, in their bids for the available city council seats. Hartley is chairman of the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.