Before we get into your neighborhood news, I’d like to recognize this month’s Local Luminary, Rose Woods. Rose is the District 7 resident responsible for organizing the petition to Keep Lake Murray Open.

Rose’s advocacy garnered 8,820 signatures and rallied people from the City of San Diego and well beyond to share their support with the City Council and Mayor. There is no doubt that her efforts played an important role in showing just how much residents care about lake access, ultimately resulting in Lake Murray remaining open seven days a week!

Thank you, Rose, for your leadership on behalf of every person who uses and cherishes Lake Murray. We could not have done it without you!

Have you been to the San Diego Vegan Market in Allied Gardens? I stopped by to visit this well-loved business to chat with the owner, Sunny, about what it’s like to run a small, local business and build a community around it.

San Diego Vegan Market has a wide variety of vegan goods, many of which are sourced from other locally owned business. If that isn’t reason enough to visit, Sunny built San Diego Vegan Market to be more than a commercial space: “The whole goal is to make people happy, build a community...you know, people call me as owner—but this is not my business. This belongs to the community. This is a community store.”

San Diego Vegan Market is at 4606 Mission Gorge Pl Ste A, San Diego, CA 92120. The hours are 9am - 8pm Wed–Sun, 10am - 8pm Mon/Tues. You can find more information at their website (https://www.veganrestaurantsd.com/) or on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandiegoveganmarket?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=d2Y5YnNxejFvdW55

Last month, the Columbiettes hosted their 10th Annual State Convention at the Mission San Diego de Alcalá. For more than 85 years, the Columbiettes have embodied faith, fellowship, and service. They uplift communities through charitable work, spiritual support, and civic engagement. Their impact is felt across California.

I had the honor of presenting a proclamation recognizing June 21, 2025 as California Columbiettes Day in the City of San Diego. I also had the opportunity to share a few words about my faith and the theme of the event, which was “Shine,” inspired by Matthew 5:16. To all of the Columbiettes, thank you for letting your light shine.

Great news for families in Del Cerro and surrounding neighborhoods—the playground equipment at Princess Del Cerro Park has been repaired and is ready for use again!

This park is such an important space for the community. Thank you to the Parks and Recreation team for prioritizing this repair and getting it done. With summer ahead of us, I’m glad we have safe and fun community spaces for families to enjoy. Take a look at the before and after below!

11,537. That’s how many days my brother, Alex, lived before an opioid overdose claimed his life.

That was over 10 years ago now. There is not a single person in my life who had more impact than Alex, from my very first memory at 2 years old, when he taught me to take care of lizards; to standing up to bullies when I was 7; to teaching me how to throw a stiff jab (and take a punch, too); to guiding me through every subject I would take because he had taken it before; to when I got into college and telling me how to make the most of it; to doing everything before I did it and always showing me how to do it better, how to do it right, or to not do it at all.

11,537 days was too few for a good person like Alex Campillo.

Alex’s story was part of the reason why I ran for office in the first place; as a prosecutor, I would see booking photos and police reports of people with mental health and drug addiction issues, and I would think: “how can I help my brother?”

That mission continues to guide my work at City Hall every day. I’ve worked hard to break down barriers to behavioral health treatment – so that one day, no one will suffer the same fate as my brother, or endure what my family still carries.

The latest step in that effort was this past month, when I launched a new partnership with the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego to provide free naloxone, fentanyl and xylazine (tranq) test strips, and overdose response training at City of San Diego libraries – all at zero cost to the City, as these materials are provided by state grants (via San Diego County).

Getting these medications into folks’ hands saves lives. There’s a reason I carry Narcan around in my car: you never know whose life you may be able to save just by being in the right place at the right time.

Our first event was held at the Linda Vista Library, with more to come in the months ahead. Attendees were invited to write the names of loved ones lost to this crisis on canvases brought by the Harm Reduction Coalition, and I wrote down Alex’s.

With every day that I continue to serve as a public official, I will speak up for everyone like Alex, to be the brother he needed, so that they can have someone there for them, even if they don’t know it.

Community Event Alert!

Summer is in full swing. Civita is hosting their annual Sunset Sunday Concerts. It is free to attend and bound to be a good time! Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. Please see the schedule below or take a look at their Instagram for more information.

From 6:00 to 7:30PM

On July 20th: Cassie B

On August 17th: Lucky Devils

On September 7th: The Might Untouchables.

San Carlos received an exciting repaving last month: Jackson Drive! Jackson Drive, along with several other side streets—such as Tuxedo Drive and Rowena Street—was resurfaced and restriped. I extend a big thank you to the Transportation Department for continuously addressing our roads to make them as safe as possible for everyone.

Take a look at the results below!

I had the great pleasure of stopping by Mickey Zeichick’s 80th birthday celebration last month! As a long time resident of San Carlos, Mickey has dedicated much of his life to community service and community building. He has served as the Chair of the San Carlos Area Council for numerous years and is a friend to many in the Navajo area.

Happy Birthday, Mickey! Thank you for all you do, and will continue to do, for our neighborhood.

One of my priorities as your Councilmember is to actively listen and respond to residents’ needs. If there is anything our office can do to resolve a situation, we will work hard to achieve a good outcome. Last month, a Serra Mesa resident reached out to my office regarding a potentially hazardous situation at the demolished Fry’s lot.

My Community Representative, Miles, reached out to City staff and code enforcement to ensure proper safety precautions were in place. City staff assessed the site and coordinated with developers to install additional straw wattles and to post signage. Thank you to the Serra Mesa resident who reached out to our office and to City staff for a swift response!

Serra Mesa is celebrating summer with their annual Big Block Party! This event will feature a car show, live music, free hot dogs and hamburgers, free beer, vendors, an art show, and plenty more. Visit as a guest or register for the car show. You can also volunteer to assist with the event! There are plenty ways to enjoy this community event.

The Big Block Party will be on July 12th from 1:00PM to 7:00PM. It will be on Greyling Drive between Gowdy and Polland. To learn more, visit Home | SM Big Block Party

Last month, I hosted another one of my Coffee with Campillo meetings, which was held at the Tierrasanta Library. We welcomed over 60 neighbors and discussed a wide range of issues: infrastructure, recent votes at the City Council, public safety, and more.

As your City Councilmember, I’m proud to prioritize community engagement and I rely on your input to do the job right. You are my partners in this work. So, thank you for attending these meetings to bring your thoughts about how I can better serve you.

Last month, the Eco Ambassadors 2025 Summer Cohort began. Eco Ambassadors is a program led by Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation. It invites a small group of local teens to engage with Mission Trails Regional Park on a deeper level, learn about local ecosystems and conservation efforts, and develop a sense of environmental stewardship.

The Eco Ambassadors program is free and open to high school students in San Diego County. I highly recommend that students, especially those interested in environmental career paths, consider applying to the next cohort!

More information on the Eco Ambassadors Program can be found here: Eco Ambassadors Program for Teens at Mission Trails Regional Park – Mission Trails Regional Park

If you attended my Coffee with Campillo, you heard me say that the past eight weeks have been among the most interesting and busy in my tenure on the City Council so far. In times like these, my goal is to be as transparent as possible regarding my votes and lay out, as clearly as possible, what our new policies mean for you. Below are some of the key votes I’ve taken in the last month and what you need to know about them.

I’ve got a full statement on my “NO” trash fee vote here, but to boil it down, I believed the final product is not what the majority of our city voted for with Measure B. It broke promises made to voters both in cost and in fairness.

Despite my “NO” vote, the fee was passed in a 7-2 vote by the City Council. Here’s what you need to know:

Starting July 15, the City’s online portal will open for residents to choose their bin sizes. You will receive a letter in the mail with instructions on how to sign in.

Trash collection fees will be added to your property tax bill, due in two installments, one in the fall and one in the winter. If you have any questions, please contact the Environmental Services Department at trash@sandiego.gov or (858) 694-7000.

The City Council voted to dramatically reform the City’s Bonus ADU program. You can read my full statement on that here.

My guiding principle to reform the ADU program was to listen to people who live in our neighborhoods and understand their lived experience. Here’s what you need to know: One of the biggest reforms was capping the number of ADUs that can be built on a single-family lot. Under the new rules, a maximum of 4 ADUs are allowed on typical single family lots under 8,000 square feet. For larger lots, up to 6 ADUs are allowed, depending on the lot size We also added a two-story height limit, prohibited ADUs from being built on lots with high wildfire risk, and more.

These changes ensure that we will not see any new apartment-style ADU developments in single family neighborhoods. I thank the community for all of your input, which enabled the City Council to rein in an out-of-control program without getting rid of it entirely.

The City Council just finalized and adopted the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.

This was a tough budget year. We faced a major deficit, and some hard decisions had to be made. But through months of work, which included Mayoral vetoes and Council overrides, we delivered a balanced and responsible budget that still prioritizes neighborhood services and community infrastructure. I want you to know that I had you—your emails, phone calls, and messages on social media—in mind as I worked with my colleagues to navigate this budget year.

Here’s what you need to know:

Maintained Library and Rec Center Hours: Restoration of full Monday hours at 16 library branches and keeping all rec centers open full-time.
Investments in Outdoor Access: Funding restored for beach restrooms, fire rings, and recreation at all City reservoirs.
Neighborhood Resilience: Partial restoration of brush management crews and stormwater channel clearing to help prevent wildfires and flooding.
Equity and Inclusion: Reinstated the Office of Race and Equity’s Director position.
Support for Community Projects: CPPS grant funding was restored at $900K to support local organizations doing work in our neighborhoods.

As always, thank you for raising your voice and helping shape a budget that reflects our values.

Sincerely,