Dear Inquirer,

My Communications Director, Crane Friedman, wanted to share a little message with you all for his last week with my office. For context, Crane was the inventor of the Raul Roundup – and each week, it is a collaboration between him and myself to choose the topics, write the blurbs, and send it out. Many of you have seen me walking through Costco, out at Lake Murray, or at a Padres game and said “I love the newsletter!” and the person who made that happen was Crane. His last day is, sadly, today. His message:

To all who enjoy reading the Raul Roundup each week: thank you! Writing the Raul Roundup, and later reading your responses with the Councilmember, has been one of the highlights of my week for the past two and a half years. It’s been my hope to communicate Councilmember Campillo’s personality and leadership to you in a digestible and consistent way that brightens your week. Grateful for all of you!

To be clear, the Raul Roundup is going nowhere – we’ll just have a new co-author! Thank you, Crane, for your great work and best of luck on your next chapter in public service.

Wednesday marked five years since I was sworn into office. Back then, we were still in the heart of COVID — as you can see in the below photo from December 2020, I was sworn in over Zoom!

We’ve accomplished so much since then: repaving many District 7 roads, doubling paid parental leave for City workers, delivering progress on behavioral health, keeping our neighborhoods safe, maintaining top-notch constituent services, and so much more.

Thank you for your engagement as constituents. Your phone calls, emails, letters, Raul Roundup responses, town hall questions, comments at the grocery store, and general energy have been vital to so much of what we’ve been able to do.

I could not do this without the help and support of Nadia, my loving wife, Rafael, my wonderful son, and my hardworking and dedicated staff. Thank you all for supporting and believing in me.

There’s still so much left to work towards — and I can’t wait to keep delivering for you.

San Diego’s mill and pave crews performed repairs on Walkden Lane from Wallsey Drive to Verlane Drive in San Carlos. That street is looking great! Continuing to work every day to get more streets repaved all over District 7.

After a marathon seven-hour City Council session on Tuesday, together with six of my colleagues we voted to keep Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) and Smart Streetlight technology working to protect lives and property in San Diego.

I’ve been a consistent supporter of this technology for many reasons. For one, the technology is truly effective; these tools have been critical in apprehending many murderers, including those who committed crimes in District 7, and in recovering $6 million in stolen property, including over 400 vehicles.

And more than just being effective, these tools are cost-effective. At a time when our City budget is already stretched thin and we are 1,000 officers short of where we should be, ALPRs and Smart Streetlights help us police our neighborhoods at a fraction of the cost (the contract as a whole only costs the City $2 million per year!).

Finally, these tools help advance just and smart policing. Take the example of a wanted murder suspect who is driving a red truck. Because of these tools, SDPD officers don’t need to stop every red truck; only the red truck. This helps reduce unnecessary police interactions and focus SDPD’s work on catching criminals.

Be assured that I will continue to prioritize public safety as San Diego's number one responsibility to our residents.

I absolutely loved reading about the new San Carlos Farmers Market and the incredible local family who brought it to life. Becky Baumwirt had a simple idea during a walk with her dog — “What if this space could bring people together?” — and with the help of her kids, neighbors, and friends, she turned that spark into a place where community members can gather and connect.

More than 350 neighbors came out for the very first market after Thanksgiving, supporting nearly two dozen local vendors and enjoying everything from fresh produce to handmade crafts (and yes, I hear the fish tacos were a hit). What inspires me most is the spirit behind it: families, small businesses, and volunteers coming together to create something that strengthens the fabric of our neighborhood.

San Carlos has long been a community that steps up for one another, and this new farmers market — held every fourth Sunday at the East San Diego Masonic Lodge — is a beautiful example of that. I can’t wait to stop by and support this homegrown effort that reflects the very best of District 7.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is seeing how our neighbors bring a little extra joy to their streets — and this year, Allied Gardens set the bar high. Justin Michalowski has turned his home on Brunswick Avenue into a full synchronized music-and-light show, complete with 6,000 programmable pixels, handmade decorations, and a radio station you can tune into from your car.

What really struck me about Justin’s story is the heart behind it. He spent more than 300 hours building the display — much of it after his kids were asleep — because he promised his two sons he would make something magical for the neighborhood. Even after an injury in 2020, he kept that promise, hobbling around on a boot and crutches to get the lights up.

If you’re thinking of creating your own music house someday, Justin has one piece of advice: start early… like summer-early. But for the rest of us, we can simply enjoy the show and appreciate the creativity, generosity, and engineering talent shining bright in Allied Gardens this holiday season.

This email series is called the 'Raul Roundup.’ I'll be sending along a few things I'm seeing online, reading about in the news, and doing as your City Councilmember. These fun, informative, and short emails will arrive straight to your inbox every Friday.

Hope you have a great weekend.

All the best,

Raul

P.S. Feel free to forward this email to a friend, family member, neighbor, colleague, etc., who might find this Roundup interesting or informative. And if you’re the person who has been forwarded this email, you can subscribe here!

Office of Councilmember
Raul A. Campillo
City Administration Building
202 C Street, 10th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

619-236-6677

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