Dear Inquirer,

Last week, the Union-Tribune Editorial Board followed up on my two transparency proposals with a piece endorsing my ideas. Thank you to the Ed Board for standing with me in pushing for integrity – we must not delay in passing these policies as soon as possible.

Here’s the editorial reprinted in full:

“In a city where every elected official is a Democrat, it’s rare to see one offer a pointed critique of San Diego’s governance. But that’s just what Councilmember Raul Campillo has done with a call for reforms in response to the appalling tactics Mayor Todd Gloria and other leaders used to clear the way for requiring more than 200,000 single-family homes to begin paying directly for trash collection.

In 2022, 50.5% of voters backed allowing the city to charge households exempted from trash fees by a 1919 city law after being told it would lead to monthly bills of $23 to $29. But in February, city officials announced the basic fee would be $53. Public outrage led that to be reduced to $43.60 — still 90% higher than the low-end estimate and 50% higher than the high-end estimate. Nevertheless, Gloria rejects the widely held view that this was a “bait and switch.”

Campillo — who voted against the proposal because of this deception — wants a requirement that the city must undertake a thorough analysis of what fees would be and provide it to voters before they decide on proposals like 2022’s Measure B, not after.

The Harvard-trained attorney also wants to avoid a replay of the city’s shabby compliance with Proposition 218. The 1996 state ballot measure includes a provision that blocks proposed fees from being collected if they are objected to by a majority of affected property owners. The law requires local governments to notify affected residents via mail and tell them how they can contest such fees. City officials did the minimum possible, sending out a notice that many found vague and confusing. Campillo proposes requiring that the first page of such mailers “must clearly state that a fee is being proposed” and that the mailers include a simple form with which residents can object.

These two reforms should be the first step toward a culture change at City Hall. But will they actually be enacted, given that doing so would amount to an admission of wrongdoing? Gloria and a majority of the council have never apologized for the city’s dishonest tactics on this issue. There’s no reason to expect them to do the right thing now.”

This upcoming week at City Hall, we’re set to debate an important topic: Automatic License Plate Readers, also known as ALPRs or Smart Streetlights.

I have long been a supporter of Smart Streetlights because they save lives, protect victims, and advance affordability by reducing insurance rates and returning stolen property. In one year alone after installing the ALPRs, we saw a drop of over 19% in stolen cars.

While San Diego spends comparatively few dollars per capita on its policing, we are one of the safest big cities in the United States – and these low-cost, high-efficacy tools have been a critical part of how we have maintained that safety despite tough budget times.

Though I sympathize with those who worry about potential misuse of these cameras, the thought of doing away with ALPRs is short-sighted and goes against the City’s mission to protect both residents and visitors alike.

Also missing from the conversation: San Diego has one of the strongest use policies for this technology so data is not misused or sold, ane must not allow fear to harm already-worried communities by making them less safe.

Speaking of ALPRs, just this week, SDPD utilized the technology in an amazing way:  apprehending the suspects in a tragic and senseless murder in Linda Vista. My heart is with Mr. Nunez’s loved ones, and I remain committed to doing everything I can to support safety in our neighborhoods. Thank you SDPD for your great work.

Not long ago, I went on record about why I thought the vacation rental / second home tax was a bad idea: because the economic assumptions behind it are flawed, it may likely end up worsening inflation and raising costs at a time when San Diegans are already struggling.

Just this past week, the Union-Tribune released analysis that appears to bear out my fear that the tourism industry (and economy overall) may be less able to absorb such a massive shock than proponents believe. Per a San Diego Tourism Authority forecast, hotel occupancy growth is projected to have dropped this year by over two percentage points, with another percent drop coming in 2026.

Of course, these worrying trends are in part caused by a precipitous drop in international visitors such as Canadian and Chinese tourists, per the article.

Tourism is a huge part of our economy – employing one in eight workers in San Diego. We can’t afford to take the tourism industry for granted; I fear that raising cost after cost will have the opposite effect of what’s intended, worsening inflation instead of making life easier for San Diegans.

Nadia and I spent our Thanksgiving morning striking with Sharp nurses. Proud to stand with workers, most of all those who take care of us when we are sick. They deserve the world and I will never shy away from demanding they be compensated fairly and staffed safely.

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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