Dear Neighbor, 

This week, I had the honor of representing San Diego in Philadelphia as mayors from across the country gathered to mark America’s 250th anniversary. 

We met at the place where our nation’s independence began, not just to look back at history, but to talk about the responsibility we all share in shaping what comes next. As President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I joined Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors who may come from different places and different political backgrounds, but who share a commitment to serving the people and communities we represent. 

That is what local government is about. Democracy is not something that only happens in Washington, D.C. It happens every day in our cities, in every neighborhood, every town hall, every public meeting, every service delivered and every decision made with residents in mind. 

For San Diego, that work means building more homes so families can afford to stay here. It means investing in safer neighborhoods, repairing roads, supporting small businesses, protecting civil rights and making sure people across our city can see themselves in the work of their government. 

Two hundred and fifty years after America declared its independence, the story of our democracy is still being written. I'm proud that San Diego is helping write the next chapter of our nation's story, and I'm proud to bring our city's values, our progress and our people-first approach to the national stage. 

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

Building more homes is essential to bringing down housing costs, but we also have to protect the affordable homes that already exist. 

That’s why the City is transferring $8.5 million in housing preservation funds collected through Complete Communities projects to the San Diego Housing Commission’s existing Affordable Housing Preservation Fund. 

Under Complete Communities, projects can pay a Neighborhood Enhancement Fee when they choose not to provide certain public amenities on site. A portion of those dollars is reserved for housing preservation, and this action allows our San Diego Housing Commission to administer the funds and use them to help keep existing affordable homes from disappearing from the market. 

This is a win-win for San Diego: We are building more new homes near transit while also helping fund affordable housing preservation. 

Construction alone will not solve the housing crisis if we are losing affordable homes at the same time. Preserving these homes helps keep working families, seniors and longtime residents rooted in the communities they call home. 

Every young person deserves a safe place to learn, play, grow and belong. That’s why the City of San Diego is investing more than $75 million in youth programs and services across our libraries, recreation centers, parks, public safety departments and community-based programs. 

These investments support everything from summer activities, sports and swimming lessons to homework help, leadership development, career pathways, gang prevention programs and activities for people with disabilities. Families can also take advantage of programs like Parks After Dark, the San Diego Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, Summer Enrichment Programs, free lunches and produce distribution at select City locations. 

This work is about making sure children, teens and families can find opportunities in every part of San Diego, during the summer and year-round. Learn more about the City’s youth programs and services here. 

San Diego is being recognized for a smart, cost-effective approach to making City buildings and infrastructure more sustainable while generating long-term energy cost savings for taxpayers. 

The City received the Energy Innovations & Breakthrough Award from the California Climate & Energy Collaboration for our Energy Savings Performance Contract program. Through this work, San Diego plans to fully electrify 23 City buildings, complete energy retrofits at 40 facilities and convert 36,000 streetlights to LED, all through a contracting and financing model that does not increase costs to the City. 

Work is already underway at libraries, recreation centers and parks, including new LED lighting, sports-field lighting upgrades at City Heights and Morley Field, duct sealing to improve HVAC performance and water-conservation improvements. More upgrades will continue over the next 18 months, helping modernize public facilities, reduce energy use, lower future energy costs and make City operations more efficient. 

Civic Center Plaza is getting safety, sanitation, and communication upgrades to better serve everyone who lives, works, and visits Downtown. 

The project includes renovations to the 24-hour public restrooms on Third Avenue at B Street, with touchless technology and improved security measures. The City is also adding energy-efficient lighting to improve visibility at night and installing a new audio/visual broadcast system with a large screen to support emergency communications and public meetings at City Hall. 

These fully federally funded improvements build on the plaza’s role as an important civic gathering space, including during recent emergencies when the area supported news conferences, shelter operations, vaccination clinics and other public services. The project is expected to be completed by August. 

Leaving military service does not mean leaving behind a life of purpose, service or community. In San Diego, we have a responsibility to make sure veterans and military families know they are not navigating that transition alone. 

That was the spirit behind a recent Benefits Seminar hosted by my Veteran Engagement Coordinator, Jon Aasted, for City employees and military spouses. The seminar brought together partners helping veterans and their families understand the benefits, services and opportunities available to them, including CalVet, Wounded Warrior Project San Diego and National University, which was founded by a retired U.S. Navy captain to expand education access for Navy personnel who were deployed and unable to pursue a traditional path to a degree. 

The seminar also featured Brian Dreschler, Director of the Navy SEAL Museum, who spoke about the service our veterans have given to our country and the many ways they continue to strengthen San Diego. This kind of partnership reflects what San Diego does best: supporting veterans and military families as they move from proudly serving our country to continuing to build their lives, careers and futures here in our community. 

If you are a veteran, active-duty service member, military spouse or military family member in need of support, please use this list of resources or reach out directly to my Veteran Engagement Coordinator, Jon Aasted, at jaasted@sandiego.gov. We are here to help connect you with support. 

Recent fires in San Diego are an important reminder that fire season is now year-round— and being ready is a shared responsibility. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue is prepared to respond, but residents can help protect their families, neighborhoods and first responders by signing up for emergency alerts, preparing a Go Kit, knowing evacuation routes and clearing dry brush and other flammable materials around their homes. 

Learn more and get the full Ready, Set, Go! wildfire preparedness resources here. 

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.

And an update on black trash bins: Starting July 1, 2026, the City will no longer collect trash from black bins. This applies only to black bins at this time. You must have a City-provided gray bin to receive service. Homeowners: confirm at http://sandiego.gov/trash. Renters: contact your landlord/property manager.

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.