Dear Neighbor, 

Cities across the country are facing the same challenge: working people, families, seniors and young adults are struggling to afford a home in the communities they love. 

We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to solve this crisis. That’s why I’m grateful to serve as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and join mayors from across the country this week to share ideas, elevate solutions, and prepare to step into the role of president following the formal election this weekend.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official nonpartisan organization representing cities with populations of 30,000 or more. It was created during the Great Depression, when mayors came together to push the federal government for emergency relief and make sure the needs of cities were heard in Washington, D.C. Today, the Conference remains the leading voice for America’s cities, helping mayors shape national policy and advocate directly with Congress and the White House on the issues that matter most to our residents. 

Mayors are the closest point of connection between government and the people we serve. We hear directly from residents about what’s working, what's not and what needs to change. And on housing especially, the answer is crystal clear: we need to build more homes.

In San Diego, we have been leading with that approach by streamlining permitting, using City land for affordable housing, updating outdated rules and building more homes to bring down housing costs. There is more work ahead, but being part of USCM gives San Diego a stronger voice in shaping federal policy that supports cities doing the work. 

As mayors, we do not have the luxury of waiting. We are where the pressure shows up first, and we are where solutions can move the fastest. 

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor. 

Since releasing the City’s draft budget on April 15 and the May Revise, I’ve continued hearing from residents about the difficult choices in this year’s budget and how those decisions affect neighborhoods across San Diego. I’m continuing to answer the questions I hear most often as well as clarify some misinformation out there.  

Question: Why can’t the City rely more on philanthropy and public-private partnerships to help close budget gaps and fund city services and programs? 

Answer: This is a fair question, and the answer is that we already do. 

The City of San Diego uses philanthropic support, sponsorships, state funding and federal grants to help fund programs and services across our city. 

A good example is Parks After Dark, a summer program that brings families together in historically underserved communities for safe, high-quality programming in neighborhood parks. Preserving that program in this difficult budget year is possible in part because the City recognizes the benefit of the program and because partners like Price Philanthropies and the San Diego Parks Foundation are helping make it happen. 

We also rely on state funding for programs like paid youth internships. We are looking everywhere possible to bring outside resources into the city and stretch every local dollar as far as we can. 

At the same time, philanthropy and partnerships cannot fully replace the stable, ongoing funding needed to operate a city of 1.4 million people. 

Take December Nights as an example. Did you know that it actually costs the City about $1.5 million to put on that two-day event? Last year, philanthropy and sponsorships brought in about $140,000, or roughly 10% of the total cost. 

Public-private partnerships are definitely a part of the solution, but they are not a substitute for the hard choices required to balance a City budget. Even with generous partners stepping up, the City is still facing a significant deficit, and reductions remain necessary. 

I am grateful to every partner helping us protect services for San Diegans. 

Parks After Dark is returning to five City of San Diego parks and recreation centers, bringing free summer activities, food, entertainment and community resources to families every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. 

This program helps make our parks safer and more welcoming by filling them with families, music, games, sports, arts and crafts, movies and kids playing together. It is part of our broader work to strengthen neighborhoods, invest in young people and create public spaces where people feel connected and supported. 

Last year, more than 36,000 people participated in Parks After Dark. This summer’s program will take place at City Heights, Linda Vista, Memorial, Skyline Hills and Silver Wing recreation centers. 

Thank you to the San Diego Parks Foundation, County of San Diego, Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies, Feeding San Diego, City parks and rec staff and all the community partners helping make this program possible. 

All events are free and registration is not required. Parks After Dark begins June 5 and runs through Aug. 1, with no events on June 19 or July 2-4. Details here. 

The City of San Diego and 3Roots developers broke ground on Bruce Brown Memorial Park, a new 24-acre public park that will bring more recreation space, sports fields, walking paths and community gathering areas to Mira Mesa. 

This project shows what’s possible when the City and private sector work together to build more homes while also delivering the parks, infrastructure and public spaces that growing neighborhoods need. As San Diego continues to grow, we must keep building complete communities where people have everything they need to live, work and play. 

Expected to open in summer 2027, the park will increase ballfields in the surrounding area by 23.5% and recreational space in Mira Mesa by 11.7%, giving thousands of kids and families more room to play, gather and connect. 

The park honors Bruce Brown, a longtime Mira Mesa volunteer whose decades of service helped shape the community’s parks, recreation programs, planning priorities and civic life. His legacy will live on through this new public space serving generations of San Diegans. 

Last week’s question: How many Medal of Honor recipients are interred or memorialized at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma? 

Here’s how you voted: 

▪️ 3 — 6.98% 
▪️ 13 — 27.91% 
✅▪️ 23 — 65.12% 

The correct answer: 23. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma is the final resting place or memorial site for 23 Medal of Honor recipients. I’m impressed most of you got this one right. Fort Rosecrans is one of San Diego’s most meaningful places of remembrance, honoring generations of service members and their families overlooking San Diego Bay. 

This week’s question: In honor of the start of Pride Month, what year marked San Diego’s first permitted Pride march and rally? 

• 1974 
• 1975 
• 1983 

Answer below or send your guess to AskTheMayor@sandiego.gov and check back next week to see if you got it right. 

TechCon SoCal brought entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders to San Diego State University to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, consumer technology, digital health and other fast-growing sectors. As keynote speaker, I highlighted how San Diego’s universities, startups, research institutions and major employers are helping build an innovation economy rooted in talent, opportunity and collaboration. 

The City is currently delivering new light blue recycling bins to households eligible for City-provided trash and recycling service. The updated bins are more durable, easier to identify, and equipped with scannable tags to improve service reliability and accountability. 

Deliveries will take place on regular collection days and continue citywide over several months, with some households receiving their bins later this year. Crews will also remove older dark blue bins, which will be recycled and repurposed. Residents can expect notifications ahead of their delivery and can look up their estimated timeline online. 

After customers receive their new light blue recycling bins, the City will collect only from those new bins. Until then, the City will continue servicing old containers to avoid disruption in customer service. Collection of recycling materials will remain bi-weekly.

Downtown’s Civic Center Plaza is getting a vibrant refresh with Plaza Central — a new series of pop-up events bringing food, music, and art to the heart of the city. The activations are free and open to the public every Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a lively preview of the area’s long-term revitalization. 

 
Learn more about Plaza Central events.