Sheriff’s deputies interviewed witnesses after a confrontation at the San Carlos farmers market, but no one had been cited, the Palo Alto Daily Post reported. The dispute involved Laura Teutschel, a supporter of the sales tax measure, and Mark Iwanowski, a candidate for San Carlos City Council.
According to a Yes on G campaign press release described by the Daily Post, Teutschel accused Iwanowski of pushing her and telling her to leave while she was speaking with a voter. The newspaper reported that Iwanowski denied pushing her and disputed her account.
The Yes on G campaign called on Iwanowski to withdraw from the council race and apologize to Teutschel. The release said she had not agreed to physical contact and argued that people taking part in political conversations should not be intimidated, the Daily Post reported.
The dispute arose during the campaign over Measure G, a proposed half-cent sales tax expected to raise about $6 million annually for 14 years if approved. San Carlos officials say the city has roughly $200 million in unfunded capital improvement projects, and that street repaving costs rose 62% between 2017 and 2023. The council placed the measure on the November 2026 ballot, according to the city’s Measure G information. Voters were set to decide it Tuesday, November 4.
Sales Tax Rate Context
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration lists the statewide sales tax rate as 7.25% and notes that local district taxes can increase the rate. That statewide figure is not San Carlos’s full rate, and it alone does not establish how the city’s combined rate would compare with rates in nearby cities if Measure G passed.
Iwanowski had opposed the half-cent tax before the farmers market dispute, the Palo Alto Daily Post reported in September. He is one of four candidates seeking three City Council seats, alongside three incumbents running for reelection, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
