On Wednesday, December 10, the Allied Gardens Grantville Town Council will host their annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the intersection of Waring Road and Zion Avenue. The event will begin at 6:00 PM and is sure to be a joyful event for all attendees!

The tree lighting is possible thanks to volunteers who will string lights this Sunday, December 7th. If you would like to lend a hand, all Navajo neighbors are welcome to help! Interested volunteers should arrive at the Adobe Falls bridge at 8:00 AM. You can reach out to Shain Haug, shainh_2000@yahoo.com, for more information.

Thank you to the Allied Gardens Grantville Town Council for organizing this event every year. I look forward to joining the community to kick-off the holiday season.

This month, my office is honoring the Patrick Henry High School Flag Football Team as our Local Luminary. If you didn’t see the news, the PHHS Flag Football Varsity Team was the first in school history to win a CIF Championship!

These athletes, led by Coaches Alona “Lonii” Harper, Chris Young, Shannon Collins, and Cherie Woods, as well as Team Captains Mia Ng, Lexi Raymond, Piper McGlenn, and Ayla Grace Collins, left their hearts on the field and put in the work to secure the championship all while maintaining 3.0 or higher GPAs, an outstanding achievement worth celebrating.

We will soon host the team, coaches, and parents at City Hall to celebrate their athleticism, dedication, academic excellence, and contributions to Patrick Henry's athletic history. Keep your eye out for photos of their visit!

Last month, we hosted our 5th annual Turkey, pie and produce giveaway in Linda Vista—one of my favorite days of the year. Thanks to the generosity and assistance of San Diego Carpenters Union 619, the Police Officers Association, Bayside Community Center, and U.S. Bank, we were able to distribute turkeys, pies, produce, and non-perishable items to over 125 Linda Vista families.

I’m always incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect with the community and deliver Thanksgiving meals to those in need. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and to everyone who contributes to this event.

Linda Vista: we’ve passed a big hurdle in bringing an off-leash dog park to Mission Heights Park! Last month, we passed the updated community plan to allow for its construction. Next up: funding.

I’m going to be working to ensure the dog park gets fully funded in our upcoming budget so that community members can start bringing their furry friends here as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more updates!

Last month, construction resumed on the Riverwalk project in Mission Valley!

The Riverwalk Development, which will ultimately build “4,300 residential units, 152,000 square feet of retail stores, 1 million square feet of office space and a new trolley stop... [and] 97 acres of parks, open space and trails with bikeways and pedestrian walkways” west of Fashion Valley broke ground three years ago. Facing a “volatile real estate financing market punctuated by high borrowing costs,” the development took a hiatus which has now ended.

Recently secured funding will complete the first phase, anticipated for Spring 2029, which will deliver 721 of those residential units and 75,000 square feet of the retail space.

Looking good, San Carlos! The City of San Diego’s in-house mill and pave teams recently repaired Walkden Lane from Wallsey Drive to Verlane Drive. This section had Pavement Condition Index scores as low as 3.54.

Repairs like these are why I advocated for our in-house mill and pave crew—their work and the Transportation Department’s coordination is critical to our neighborhoods! Thank you to the city crews involved. Take a look at the results below.

Thank you to the thirty-plus neighbors who braved the rain to attend last month’s Coffee with Campillo. These conversations reflect what matters most to me in public service: being present, listening, and working together to strengthen our neighborhoods.

I’m proud to have held more than 50 town halls, coffee events, and office hours since taking office, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to the many residents who stopped by last month to get rid of your bulk trash! Given that a trip to the Miramar Landfill can cost families hundreds of dollars in fees, my team and I are so happy to host these free events to save you cash when budgets are already tight.

Until the next one -- we'll be sure to keep you updated when we have another event scheduled! Thank you to EDCO for your partnership in these events, which our residents greatly appreciate!

Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation hosted its annual Holiday Marketplace, which brought together over 20 local artists and vendors to sell handcrafted, artisan goods. All purchases not only supported our local small business economy but also went back to Mission Trails Regional Park for their programming and trail maintenance.

My family stopped by to do some holiday shopping and to connect with park patrons. We always enjoy this special event and send our gratitude to the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation team for organizing it.

I’ve said it here before—I am San Diego City Council’s biggest soccer fan. In October, I led City Council in declaring the first week of playoffs “Show Up for SDFC Week” in San Diego and show up we did.

Watching San Diego FC dominate in their outstanding inaugural season and bring fire to their playoff run, especially from an electric Snapdragon Stadium, was indescribably inspiring. I’ve got no doubt that San Diego FC has a bright future as both a top player in MLS and as cultural bind in our region.

Congratulations to SDFC on an exciting season. We are all excited to see what’s next.

Last month, the San Diego City Council voted to approve a $150-$300 annual parking pass for Balboa Park. I voted no.

San Diegans are already feeling the strain of higher costs. While I appreciate the effort to find an alternative to paying daily parking fees, $150-300 is still far too high. These fees will make it harder for seniors, families, and frequent park users who rely on Balboa Park every day. The bottom line is that there ARE better ways to balance our budget without putting undue burdens on the people who count on our public spaces for community, recreation, and connection.

See my full statement below.

From the beginning, I have opposed the high parking fees proposed for Balboa Park.

My conviction comes from hearing directly from many frequent park users—including seniors, like those part of the Redwood Bridge Club—about how these new costs would impact their lives. That being said, I was hopeful that an annual pass option could provide a fair alternative to daily rates.

I voted no because these costs are still too high for working families who depend on our park, most of all when San Diegans are already struggling with high. I’m also concerned these fees will drive visitors away from Balboa Park, ultimately reducing, not increasing, City revenue.

I am confident that there is another way, one that balances the City’s budget without putting an undue burden on those who rely on Balboa Park for connection, recreation, and exercise.

I go to work every single day trying to embody the words honesty, integrity, and transparency.

That’s why I’m proposing two policies that put clear, transparent processes in place when asking our residents to potentially increase fees – residents should never feel duped by their City government.

The first proposal would ensure that when residents receive Proposition 218-mandated mailers about a new fee, the very first page must clearly state that a fee is being proposed and explain residents’ right to protest it. Additionally, the mailer must include a simple, easy-to-find protest form so the public can meaningfully participate in the process.

The second proposal gives the Council the option to require a cost-of-service study or economic impact analysis before placing a measure on the ballot that could lead to a future fee, ensuring voters have the full facts up front.

I believe strongly that in order to rebuild trust with our citizens, we must avoid the sorts of issues that came up when the trash fee was considered earlier this year. I hope to bring these proposals to the Rules Committee before the end of the year.

Thank you to San Diego Union Tribune for covering my policy in a recent article, which you can read here.

Sincerely,