What makes a community tick is the efforts of many individuals who selflessly dedicate their time, energy, and leadership to making our neighborhoods healthier and happier. In April, we celebrated one of those very people, Shain Haug.

Shain recently stepped down from his role as the Chair of Allied Gardens and Grantville Community Council after years of dedicated service. He strengthened communication between residents, advocated for the Allied Gardens Dog Park, championed neighborhood beautification projects, organized community events like the annual Holiday Festival, and so much more.

Shain, we are so grateful for your years of leadership. Thank you for everything you’ve done in the community and will, undoubtedly, continue to do.

Last month, I attended the Weblos Cub Scouts meeting in Del Cerro to chat with the scouts about my role as their Councilmember, their civic duty, and their public service as scouts, which is a true bright spot in our community. I also had the opportunity to celebrate their work by presenting them with commendations.

I am a big supporter of groups that invite our next generations to grow and learn as individuals while also teaching collaboration and hard work for the public.

Thank you to the scouts and their leadership for your contributions to our community! It was great to speak with you.

It’s always a pleasure to enjoy the Linda Vista Multicultural Fair & Parade alongside my staff, community leaders, and neighbors. This year, the theme was “Rooted in Community,” an uplifting reminder that togetherness and diversity are worth celebrating.

We enjoyed the live music, cultural performances, opportunity to chat with folks, and of course, the abundance of incredible food! I cannot express my thanks enough to those who organize this annual event and bring our community together for this important experience.

We look forward to next year!

Have you tried the Civita Farmers Market? In the age of social media, word spreads fast when something is worth checking out. I was pleasantly surprised to find a little slice of District 7 being shared as a “must see” on social media!

Civita Farmers Market has grown tremendously since it first opened. Every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Civita Park, you can find produce, hot food, local vendors, and more. A fan favorite on social media is the Sourdough & Moore booth.

I’ve visited Civita Park for the Farmers Market and other events, such as their Summer Concert Series, a number of times and I can confirm it is a must see. With the beautiful spring and summer weather on the horizon, be sure to make plans with your family or friends to stop by.

Rafael, Zara, Nadia, and I had a blast at the Benchley-Weinberger Multicultural Festival! Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and families who bring this event together every year.

There is no better way to share the power of diversity with our next generation than through food, music, and joyful experiences. I know that Nadia and I are thankful for these opportunities to teach our children that multiculturalism is worth celebrating.

In early April, residents near Lake Murray participated in a mini, curbside bulk trash event. ESD provides these opportunities throughout the district, with this one allowing residents the opportunity to dispose of 2.66 tons of waste. I extend a big thank you to ESD staff for organizing this service and to the residents who took advantage of it.

Interested in having a Mini Bulk Cleanup on your block? ESD hosts one to two a month and determines the location by referencing a running list of residential requests. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with your request. We are happy to pass your street name along to ESD.

This month, we celebrated the ribbon cutting of Ruffin Canyon Trail, a project the community has eagerly waited for! The trail connects Serra Mesa to Mission Valley and invites families, hikers, and mountain bicyclists to enjoy one of San Diego’s many beautiful canyons.

This project did not happen by chance. It was through years of persistence, advocacy, and partnership by so many: Parks and Recreation staff, the San Diego Mountain Biking Association, San Diego Canyonlands, and the Friends of Ruffin Canyon Trail, led by Kevin Johnston. Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly on this project.

I am thrilled to see this complete, and I look forward to bringing my family back for some time well-spent in nature (and to Costco, for a hot dog, afterward)!

We also celebrated the groundbreaking of a housing development in Serra Mesa. This development will bring affordable housing to veterans experiencing homelessness and families with low income. Thanks to the collaboration of San Diego Housing Works, the City of San Diego, and other partners, this project will provide a home to our most vulnerable neighbors.

No one – especially those who have sacrificed to serve our country – should ever have to worry about having a safe place to call home. I commend Community HousingWorks for its leadership in identifying and supporting those it serves with intention and care. Thank you for leading this critical development project.

After hosting several town halls at the start of the new year, I returned to my regular Coffee with Campillo events. Last month, I hosted a special joint meeting with my colleague, Assemblymember Chris Ward. Assemblymember Ward is a fantastic partner and voice for District 7 residents at the state level.

We responded to questions on a wide range of topics from Zone Zero to the City of San Diego budget deficit. Thank you to the 50+ folks who stopped by to engage in a good-faith conversation about how we can advocate for you at the City and State level. And thank you to Assemblymember Ward for joining me!

I look forward to the next Coffee with Campillo in June. Details will be shared soon.

I also had the opportunity to stop by Tierrasanta Village’s Live Well Fair, a wonderful, annual event that brings together community advocates, organizations, and healthcare representatives to share with seniors in Tierrasanta how they can live well.

This is the second year of Tierrasanta Village’s Live Well Fair, although it is far from the only service they offer. I proudly supported Tierrasanta Village’s first Live Well Fair through Community Programs, Projects, and Services (CPPS) Funding and gladly supported its second year, too.

It is evident that this fair provides a great service to the Tierrasanta community, and I’m thankful for their unwavering commitment to their mission.

As many of you have noticed, Mission Trails Regional Park has a construction project impacting roads and traffic in and around the park. Below are some updates on anticipated timelines for closures. These are directly shared from the East County Advanced Water Purification website, which you can find here:

In Mission Trails Regional Park, pipeline work will span 2.6 miles along the Father Junipero Serra Trail. Work is being done in sections to minimize impacts to park visitors.

The Father Junipero Serra Trail is closed to vehicles between the two vehicle gates 24/7 through late 2028. The Visitor Center remains open in addition to the majority of the walking/bike path.

What Park Visitors Can Expect:

Parking lots at the Visitor Center, Old Mission Dam, Jackson Drive, and East and West Fortuna remain open most of the time with closures posted on signage in the park. Updates can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, and X (@eastcountyawp).
The Father Junipero Serra Trail is closed to vehicles between the two gates near the Visitor Center and Old Mission Dam.
Father Junipero Serra Trail typically remains open to walkers, hikers, and cyclists. Some occasional pedestrian closures may be necessary. Please view our interactive map for the latest impacts.
Construction activity may create noise, dust, and odors.
No vehicle access will be allowed during construction to some trailheads including Oak Grove Loop, Climbers Loop South and North, and Grinding Rocks due to the temporary vehicle closure of a section of Father Junipero Serra Trail.

An update on my proposal to adjust special event parking rates in Downtown San Diego:

In April, I brought forward my 5/5/5 proposal forward to cut in half the $10 per hour price during Padres games and concerts. It would also shrink the zone and timeframe you’d have to pay.

My fellow committee members expressed that they also thought $10 per hour was too high and the zone was too big. They voted in favor of working on this policy further to find the right balance. They weren’t ready to endorse my 5/5/5 plan as proposed, but I am thankful they agree that changes do need to be made.

We’ve heard from workers, small business owners, and residents across San Diego that the current special event parking rates downtown are not working. I'll continue to work on common- sense reductions across the board that will ensure people continue to patron businesses and visit our vibrant downtown.

First, I am thankful for all of the public engagement we heard at City Council on Monday. The budget is a complex process, certainly, but is also a simple statement of what our city prioritizes and who we include in the conversation. What I heard on Monday was the sense that the proposed budget isn’t aligned with what our residents prioritize. I share that sentiment.

Just because a budget meets our legal obligations to be balanced does not mean that it is optimized. The proposed version is not even close. I share your concerns because, like you, I believe that our core responsibilities, such as public safety and infrastructure, are urgent, and our parks, libraries, arts and culture, and youth investment are urgent, too; these are investments in our future and in our residents’ livelihood. Just like you all invest in the safety, security, and growth of your children and grandchildren, the city needs to as well.

A budget has to optimize our present and the future as much as possible. What concerns me with the current proposed draft is that I perceive a weakening of both the present and the future, at the same time. To competently balance the budget, we must make difficult decisions.

We need police, fire, streets, sidewalks, and infrastructure because those support the conditions of daily life. There are several families in San Diego, this year alone, who lost children to traffic accidents. Incomprehensible losses. Tragedy has the opportunity to strike when government is late to its most basic responsibilities.

One thing that many people don’t focus on in budget discussions, but experience daily, is facilities spending. This proposed budget cuts $1.5 million from last year’s budget, and the public and city workers feel it when they walk into public restrooms that are overflowing with trash and without a working sink. As a resident recently put it to me in an email, “I don't feel appreciated as a taxpayer who is faced with diminished services.” A resident that feels unappreciated or overlooked is a resident who does not trust us. They feel and notice the hypocrisy of cutting core resident services while keeping so many of our back-office supervisor roles.

But my frustrations are not limited to cuts in infrastructure and public safety. I am also frustrated about the glaring disinvestment in departments directly tied to our publics’ livelihood.

This budget reduces recreation center hours and library hours dramatically. It cuts arts and culture by $11.8 million. Taken together, that is more than $20 million cut from the parts of city life that help people connect, and which provides thousands of jobs to our region, too. This is a slash in the social fabric that makes our city one of the best places for college graduates to live, that makes us a colorful and vibrant place, and that lays the foundation for growth

To be transparent, I am concerned that this proposed budget only makes next year’s problem worse. As it stands, we are sowing more distrust and turning our backs on those who show up, in earnest, to advocate for their well-being. This concern is not to vilify the Mayor, his team, or any of my City Council colleagues. We do have a common goal, and we have different ideas of how to get there. But it’s your ideas on how we get to a better city than are most pertinent to hear.

When I go out with my family, and we have the pleasure of running into you, it is always clear to me that you are not asking for much. You want to be safe, healthy, and respected. Part of that respect is spending your taxpayer dollars in an intelligent, transparent way. So, I cannot promise that every one of the proposed cuts will be restored. I won’t make promises that are not real. What I can promise is something I do my best to offer you every single day: honesty from me and scrutiny of the ideas that affect your lives. I can promise an honest try at delivering the budget you ask for, the one that keeps your family safe, happy, and healthy.

Sincerely,