The early results of the District 1 special election for County Supervisor are in – and it’s looking good for Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. Congratulations, Mayor Aguirre – I am looking forward to working with you on our many shared priorities for all of San Diego County.

I served as Mayor Aguirre’s alternate to the California Coastal Commission for about two years; I know first hand that she is a great leader on the causes of ensuring access to the coast and protection of our beaches and waterways. Supporting her in that role was a distinct honor, and I am glad to see her now take on the heightened responsibility for our County.

One of the best parts about the Raul Roundup is reading your replies. I thought I’d start including a few in the Raul Roundup from time to time so that this email series reflects what governance should be about: a two-way conversation.

Richard writes:

Everyday driving over the stretch of road of college and del Cerro Boulevard reminds me how happy I am that you're doing something for us. Driving on princess View Dr reminds me how much more there is to do but I'm thankful for all the road repairs even if I don't use them because I know other people who drive them everyday are happy and you should be happy to because they will be voting for you.

Thanks for the kind words, Richard – I drive on Princess View regularly and know that it needs work. Anthony, our community rep for the Navajo area, has flagged this for City staff. Remember that submitting a ticket in the Get it Done app is the best way to make sure City staff see your request – and if you forward your request to us, we may be able to speed your request along.

Elizabeth writes:

I know you voted against putting the trash fees on the property tax bill.

I live in San Diego in a large condo complex that uses a private trash service rather than the city's trash service.  With so many property tax bills being processed from all sorts of property owners not on the city's trash service, how will they coordinate the differences between single family property owners and multi family property owners when the property tax bills are processed?  Some fees on these bills may get mis-billed.

Thank you for the question, Elizabeth.

The City and County worked together closely to compile a comprehensive list of all eligible single-family properties that receive City trash service and would be impacted by the new fee. That same list was also used to determine who received the mail-in ballot for the fee approval process.

Just to clarify: the new fee applies primarily to residents who were already receiving City trash collection service, but they were receiving it at no charge. The change is that these residents will now begin paying a fee.

So, while the property tax system processes bills for many different property types, only those single-family homes identified as receiving City trash service will see the fee added to their tax bill. This coordination between the City and County is intended to avoid misbilling and ensure that multi-family properties or homes with private haulers aren’t incorrectly charged.

Not only did San Diego’s new budget take effect this week – the weather has been GORGEOUS for a nice outing at Lake Murray.

Looking to get outside and enjoy our region’s natural beauty? Try the roughly 6-mile out-and-back trail connecting Cowles Mountain and Pyles Peak in Mission Trails Regional Park, which Maura Fox of the Union-Tribune highlighted in her hike of the week column this past Saturday. You’ll climb to Cowles, San Diego’s tallest peak at 1,593 feet, then continue on to the quieter Pyles Peak for sweeping city views.

Especially now that we are fully in the swing of summer, make sure you get out there early, bring plenty of sunscreen and water, and avoid extremely hot days. Thank you Maura for highlighting this great hike!

Wishing everyone in District 7 and across San Diego a safe and joyful Independence Day. Whether you’re spending time with family, enjoying fireworks, or taking in the sunshine, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!