Oh
, I'm leaving
.
Mm hmm.
Oh, well
.
Mm hmm.
All right.
>> Good morning.
I will now call the city
Council meeting of Tuesday,
MARCH 3rd, 2026 to order.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell.
Council Member Whitburn or
Council Member Foster.
Council Member Yvonne Wilpert.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
here.
Council Member Campos here.
Council Member Moreno.
Present Council Member Ella
Rivera.
And Council PRESIDENT LaCava.
Present Also attending
the meeting our City Attorney
Heather Ferber, independent
budget analyst Charles Monica
and myself for City Clerk Diana
Fuentes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
Thank you.
Quorum is now present.
We will begin this morning with
the land acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee.
Good morning.
We respectfully acknowledge
the commune nation or
the original inhabitants of
the Unceded land now known as
San Diego.
Despite enduring the horrors of
genocide and colonization and
the Cuzmy spirit remains
unbroken, we honor
the resilience of their
ancestors who fought to protect
their culture and land.
Today they carry their legacy
forward ensuring that their
traditions continue to thrive
in gratitude and strength.
We stand with the community
nation connected to our past
and committed to a thriving
future.
If you'll join me in facing
the flag, where do you begin?
I pledge allegiance to the flag
United States of America and to
the Republic which stands one
nation under GOD, indivisible
with liberty and justice for
all.
MADAM City Clerk, please go
over how the public can offer
their testimony.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
I'd like to highlight the slide
that's on the screen that does
review how the public can offer
their public testimony.
During today's meeting please
note the time allocations for
proclamation and consent items
for meeting management
purposes.
One minute per item maximum of
three minutes for three or more
items are there.
The order can be found on
the agenda Summary found online
or at the back table in
the back of the room If you are
in person please complete
the speaker slip looking at
the entrance of chambers and
bring it to the front of
the room in the clear box.
Council ambassadors are
available near the entrance and
can assist with questions and
speaker slips knowing no
further in-person testimony
will be taken once the council
begins Virtual testimony.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you for that.
We will now dispense with
the approval of
the proclamation items.
Please introduce them and
proceed with public comment.
Thank you.
The public comment period for
the proclamation items is now
open.
Each speaker will have one
minute per item per person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you'll have
a maximum of three minutes.
The proclamation items being
approved are items 30 and 31.
Jacob Edwards if you can please
come forward and you're
speaking on item 30.
Thank you.
City Council.
Thank you for the work you do
for the city of San Diego.
Senior Chief Deputy City
Attorney Donna Adams Today is
very important to the city of
San Diego being that the city
attorney's office is very
important to the city of San
Diego.
With that, I'm standing in
front of you today to encourage
a lawsuit to the federal
government by the city
attorney's office.
In doing so along with
the federal lawsuit could come
protection orders.
It could protect city hall,
the mayor's office, the police
department witnesses and go far
and wide.
>> That would be standing up
for us citizens.
Our city and our country.
>> I highly encourage you to
encourage the city Attorney's
office to thank you for that
concluding remark.
>> Your time has concluded.
Thank you for that concluding
remark.
I've started the you minute
timer going to those
participating remotely.
Please let me know which item
or items you wish to speak to.
Hector if you can please unmute
I'd like to respond to what
that guy was saying whatever
thing he was on So you're
speaking on just item 30.
You'll have one minute.
Please proceed.
Yeah, I think my Internet's
kind of break.
I'm like, Well I knew what that
guy was talking about that
item.
I think the city attorney
should list and deport all
these guys and rapidly open up
all the different places Now
that we have 75,000 guys on
Medicare that the government
knows about and captain to San
Diego of 75,000 people that are
here illegally taking benefits.
They should be the top of
the list at the city attorney
to protect us Most.
Yeah yeah And and out in
the last here we did a bunch of
stuff we've been have of
protective citizens of San
Diego.
Not the criminals not the guys
and then the government
the state guys.
Those guys got to go.
So hopefully the city attorney
will proclaim Ice Day every
day.
>> Your time has concluded.
Moving on to Michael Schmidt If
you can please let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
>> Good morning everyone.
My lovely friends on Santa I'm
speaking to one on one.
One on one.
Is it worth doing proclamation
Just 30 and 31 right now?
>> Oh you are.
I'm thinking of the consensus.
>> Okay.
We'll come back to you during
consent.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on the proclamation.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk We'll turn it over
to council members questions
and comments and entertain a
motion and we'll start with
Council member Whitburn.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I am pleased
to bring forward item 31
proclaiming APRIL 25th as
Soroptimist International of
San Diego Day in the city of
San Diego for 95 years
Soroptimist International of
San Diego has been a powerful
force for expanding opportunity
and economic independence for
women and girls across our
community through their Live
Your Dream Awards.
Soroptimist International
provides critical financial
support to women who are their
primary breadwinners for their
families, helping them to
access education and career
training that transforms
people's lives through their
dream It be it a program local
girls receive mentorship and
encouragement to pursue their
educational and professional
goals with confidence
Soroptimist International of
San Diego also partners with
organized and serving survivors
of sex trafficking and domestic
violence ensuring that women
have access to the resources
they need to rebuild their
lives in a safe and dignified
way.
We appreciate their continued
commitment to empowering women
and girls in our city to and
Lady Judy Lawton is with us
from Soroptimist International
of San Diego.
I'd like to invite her to come
up to the podium and thank you
very much for being here and
please share a few words with
us this morning.
What an honor.
Thank you so much.
Good morning.
Council PRESIDENT And council
members.
My name is Judy Ludden and I'm
a proud to be a 45 plus year
member of Soroptimist
International of San Diego and
the chair of our 95th
anniversary celebration.
I'm here today to recognize
this remarkable milestone as we
will celebrating on Saturday
MARCH 7th at the Bankers Hill
Club for nearly a century.
Soroptimist has been dedicated
to empowering women and girls
throughout our community by
providing access to education,
mentorship and financial
support, helping them achieve
economic independence, build
back better, build brighter
futures.
Reaching 95 years of service is
a testament to the dedication
of generations of volunteers
committed to improving
the lives of girls and women in
San Diego County.
It is truly an honor to lead
the celebration of our legacy
and continue impact.
Thank you.
And we look forward to APRIL
25th being Soroptimist
International of San Diego Day
in the city of San Diego.
And with that I am happy to
move the proclamations.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
So we have a motion by
COUNCILMAN Whitburn to move.
The proclamation will go next
to council member Vaughn
Wolpert.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT For
item 31.
I also want to take a moment to
recognize Soroptimist
International in San Diego for
the extraordinary work that
you've done in our city for 95
years.
It's also wonderful that it
marches Women's History Month
as well And so thank you for
all the work especially you do
around helping survivors of
domestic violence get out of
those situations so they can
then be empowered to lead their
own lives.
And I know in District five in
my particular community in
Rancho Bernardo and Pena's
career so hard to Soroptimist
work So thank you for all that
you do.
I am also honored to bring
forth on item 30 to join our
city attorney Heather Ferber to
recognize Senor Chief Deputy
City Attorney Dana Adams.
I cannot believe that Danny,
you are already time to leave
our city.
I hope you can come back as
original but more For more than
28 years, Diana has dedicated
her career to serving
the people of San Diego with
integrity, professionalism and
unwavering commitment to
justice.
A San Diego native like me,
Dana built her an extraordinary
career rooted in service for
the United States Navy judge
advocate general Corps to
United States Attorney's Office
and ultimately to the city's
attorney's office where she has
made a lasting impact since
joining the city in 1997, she
has handled more than 1300
hearings, 400 depositions, 14
trials and seven appeals.
Those numbers reflect not only
expertise but tireless
preparation and steady
leadership and deep
institutional knowledge as
chief of our Workers
Compensation unit, Diana led
with both strength and
compassion.
She mentored 11 attorneys,
foster collaboration with our
risk management division and
worked diligently to ensure
city employees receive timely
access to benefits and medical
care During the covid 19
pandemic, she played a key role
in advancing critical
presumptions to protect our
safety, protect our officers,
lifeguards and firefighters.
Danny's career is defined not
just by legal excellence but by
her commitment to the people
she worked alongside and
the employees she served.
On behalf of the city Council
and residents of San Diego, I
want to thank you so much for
your decades of service not
only to our city but to our
nation as well.
And it's my privilege to be
able to join our city attorney
Heather Ferber in proclaiming
MARCH third, 2026 as senior
Chief Deputy City Attorney
Danny Adams Day The city of San
Diego.
Dan, you want to come up and
say a few words So I want to
say thank you so much.
>> It's been a pleasure and an
honor serving the city of San
Diego.
We have the ability to
collaborate with our
colleagues, take responsibility
for our own cases and most
importantly to do the right
thing.
And I have really enjoyed being
in the workers comp unit and
providing timely and accurate
benefits along with our risk
adjusters for all of our city
employees.
>> So thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
I will second
the proclamations.
All right.
Thank you.
Council members, do we have a
motion by Councilmember
Whitburn, the second by council
member Von Wolpert to move
the proclamation And we'll go
to our city attorney.
Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT Today I have
the honor of joining
Councilmember Yvonne Wilbert in
recognizing a truly exceptional
member of the city attorney's
office and senior chief Deputy
City Attorney Diana Adams.
After more than 28 years of
dedicated service to the city,
Diana is concluding a career of
unwavering commitment to public
service.
As the councilmember mentioned,
she was born and raised in San
Diego.
She is a graduate from San
Diego High.
The second we have honored this
year who have left our office.
She received her bachelor's
degree from St John's College,
a master's degree from
the University of New Mexico
and came home for her law
degree at the University of San
Diego.
Diana joined the city
attorney's office in 1997 as a
criminal prosecutor.
One year later she joined Civil
Litigation Division and in 1999
she joined the Workers
Compensation Unit where she has
been assigned ever since.
For more than 20 years Diana
has served as chief of
the Workers Comp Unit where
she's mentored attorneys,
fostered a culture of
camaraderie and it's a
testament that her team is here
and the risk adjusters that she
works with on a daily basis
It's not always every attorney
who has clients who actually
want to come and celebrate
them.
For more than 26 years Diana
has been a trusted advisor for
risk management and has played
a critical role in
strengthening collaboration
between attorneys and adjusters
and helping risk management
towards awards that they've
received recently.
Her impact on city employees
has been immeasurable.
Diana advanced the city's
ability to timely and
accurately deliver workers
compensation benefits and was
instrumental during the initial
covid 19 Workers Comp
Resumptions for safety after
office hours.
You've heard about the numerous
hearings that Diana has already
handled which is remarkable
given anyone's caseload.
So I am especially proud to
join Councilmember von Wilber
today in honoring Diana's
extraordinary career.
Her deep commitment to public
service and her profound impact
on the city of San Diego.
You will be missed and we hope
you enjoy every moment of your
retirement.
>> Thank you so much.
All right.
>> With that, I'll thank my
colleagues and the city
attorney for bringing these
proclamations and resolutions
robbing us of San Diego for
the work you do every day And
congratulations to MISS Adams
on your retirement.
You will be missed.
With that we have a motion by
Councilmember Lipper and
the second by Councilmember
Yvonne Wolpert clerk Please
call the roll.
>> I'm sorry The voting system
Please cast your vote that
passes unanimously 8 to 0 with
council member Ella Rivera
absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
So we will take a brief pause
for photos and we'll start with
senior chief deputy City
Attorney Donna Adams and
all right with that we will now
proceed with the approval of
the consent items.
>> Are there any requests to
pull an item by the council Not
seen any request?
Clerk Please introduce
the items and proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Please now each speaker will
have one minute per item per
person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you'll have
a maximum of three minutes.
The consent agenda includes
items 5060 101.1 and 500.
Blaire Beekman if you can
please come forward you'll have
three minutes.
You're speaking on items 50 as
501 hundred.
Please proceed when ready at
the mic.
Hi everyone.
Everyone I'm back from Maui.
It's been a month and it's nice
to be back.
Nice to be back in
the building.
Um, I wanted to speak.
I wrote three items I think I
only want to mainly speak on
two items items 50 and 100.
>> Um, thank you for this.
So Soroptimist item that was
here earlier working on child
trafficking issues a young
women can get help can relate
well to trafficking issues here
in San Diego on many levels.
A really interesting item.
Thank you.
Um, for item 50 um the My Water
City web portal is getting
software service agreements.
It was that committee a few
weeks ago and I went on and on
about the importance of
the mobile applications that
this service agreement is going
to serve and how awesome you
guys are doing in public works
to build a more public process
for the public utilities
department and smart water
meter issues that Councilperson
Campbell and Bond will really
worked on in the past few years
They did Awesome.
I went a little overboard.
Sorry about that.
Um, but just to be clear
they've done awesome work to
make a real good public process
that this item is serving.
Good luck and the continued
good efforts.
It's I think a crowning
achievement of what this
current council is doing and
and creating a public space.
Good luck in the continued
efforts And for item se 500 um
resolute and excusing council
person one will appear from
certain City Council committee
meetings.
I made a references a few
references last week um we're
beginning a new stage of war at
this time The work that I do
with tech accountability
immediately gets thrown under
the bus At these times Council
PRESIDENT Van Wolpert in her
She's in a campaign an
important campaign.
I really like Councilperson
Manuel and what she can do
running for Congress.
She's going to be a little
tender and fragile to talk
about how we can move forward
with best practices in public
safety.
I want to hope this year we can
still have those good
conversations here at the local
level and that we can be
building a really smart, more
intelligent future.
Uh, you know it's based on best
practices and civil rights and
civil protections and privacy
and we don't have to forgo or
give those things up because of
war, because of So we have
the PRESIDENT Van Wilbur can
have a good campaign and he's
actually she's been learning a
lot And I hope we can learn how
to speak more clearly together
that we really can still
continue best practices in
the coming year and good luck
in the ways to talk about this
publicly and that we can do it
together.
Thank you.
I started the five minute timer
because there are no other
speakers here in council
chambers.
We have three in the virtual
queue starting with 7499 If you
can please let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to on the consent agenda.
>> 7499 Item 5100 and 101
You'll have three minutes.
>> Please proceed.
But because it's key here all
three of these items are
contracts of one form or
another with private businesses
and organizations.
I understand that the city
sometimes needs to enter into
such contracts for products and
services but I have to ask who
exactly in this city is on
the hook for the conduct of
these businesses?
There should be at least one
person who is publicly
accountable for the conduct of
any private business
contracting with the city of
San Diego and that one person's
name and contact information
should be provided internally
and publicly available to all
citizens not some bureaucrat
that we have to go find should
be publicly and prominently
available.
For example, who is the one
person who is accountable for
the conduct of the business
leasing our Torrey Pines Glider
port And where would citizens
find the name of that one
person with those thoughts in
mind I am asking the City
Council to ensure that each and
every contract with a private
business including these three
that I've mentioned includes
the name of the person in this
city who is publicly
accountable for the conduct of
those businesses.
Do not approve any contract
unless such an appointment is
made.
>> Thank you.
Next is Michael Schmidt.
If you can please unmute and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
>> Speaking to one on one So
you'll have one minute.
>> Please proceed.
All right.
Good morning everyone.
Oh my GOD.
I'm very happy The fact that
we're going to be having the I
guess you But I just I have
been missed.
I mean, someone I've been
listening to.
I appreciate that Everyone
should come from so speaking to
everyone here.
So please try to contact.
>> Thank you.
Our final speaker is 8700.
If you can please unmute 80/700
.
>> There you go.
Which item or items do you wish
to speak to?
I'll speak to 50 6100.
Please proceed.
You'll have three minutes.
Thank you Joy.
You had a cd three First of all
I'm number 50.
I want you to know that I do
approve this Yet I must say
the following Some old energy
water for my water ski web
portal Total employees 135 or
admin workforce 57 Asian male
21 Asian female 33 white male
out of 105 135 That's 111 on
the eeoc I disagree with their
under represented represented
categories yet they say they
are doing better so I hope
that's true but the I just I
don't see it once once
the public registers for the my
water safety web portal
automatic switch to paperless a
question how many customers so
far are now paperless?
The company rating is 2.5 out
of five points Employee
comments generally very
negative Yet this is a win win
and I know a lot of people like
this If this is a win win for
our customer service let's
modify the service agreement.
Yes I do think we can do better
on contracts.
>> Thank you Love to all number
60 California Believe what
the 60 California Building
standards codes and associated
beauty codes a question Does
the muni code states have
safety procedures for public to
evacuate the 12th floor And if
so could you please post on
the 12th floor in a clear
location for reading by
the public attending meetings
How to do that evacuation a big
big thank you on that.
Please listen to me I'm 100
Since legal matters permeate
most of what the city is
involved in, I fully support
our great office of the city
Attorney and this panel outside
counsel I also want to welcome
back Council member Campo and
to once again congratulate he
and his wife Nadya and
the birth of their daughter.
I have a beautiful day.
Thank you for listening and
love to all.
Thank you.
That concludes public comment
on the consent agenda.
All right.
Thank you, city Clerk.
And with that will turn it over
to council members for any
questions, comments Entertain a
motion and we'll start with
Councilmember Lambert.
I thank you very much.
I'm happy to make the motion to
approve the consent agenda.
I just wanted to comment on
item 1 to 1 for the f y 26
community programs Projects and
services funding allocation for
the Rancho Bene Scooters Town
Council to support our annual
very low Spanish growth very
much looking forward to this
event this year And I want to
thank especially our
Transportation Department for
working overtime to get all
the people feel on the roads so
we can actually do that.
We are still on that road So I
very much appreciate everybody
and looking forward to joining
our community.
I'm happy to make the motion to
approve the consent agenda.
All right.
Thank you.
So we have a motion by council
member Barton Wolpert to move
the consent items.
I will go ahead and second and
offer some brief comments on
item 50 the pd customer service
portal.
This item was heard at
the Environment Committee in
FEBRUARY.
I want to thank the public
utilities team for
restructuring this contract and
continue to save ratepayers
money.
This portal has proven
successful in letting customers
access their accounts and
streamlining their payments.
When the original contract came
before council in 2021, I made
the amendment to remove credit
card fees from being paid by
the public Utilities department
That still allows customers to
pay through automatic debit
from their checking account and
avoid any fees and as a result
saves all ratepayers over $14
million in fees.
Keeping the continuity This
platform is helpful for
the customer experience and
thank you again to the good
folks of public utilities for
restructuring this contract And
with that we have a motion by
Council member of on Wolpert a
second by myself Please call
the roll that passes
unanimously 9 to 0 Thank
Council PRESIDENT All right All
right Thank you.
Do we have any comments from
the mayor's office, city
council member, city Attorney
and if anybody Analyst or city
clerk not seeing any will move
right along.
We will now take out
Councilmember Gallardo.
I think you guys read it.
I just I won't take too much
time on this and just as has
been so often the case for
the last 13 months or so, 14
months, things that are would
be absolute extraordinary or
becoming quite routine.
That doesn't mean that they
should be normal.
Over the weekend the PRESIDENT
Launched an illegal war that is
putting the lives of San
Diegans and the friends and
family of San Diegans at risk.
And I just didn't want things
to kind of go on as if that's
not happening right now.
We've already lost service
members and there's also been
tremendous loss of life beyond
that.
So again, just for the sake of
not normalizing the what should
never be normal but like what
Saying something like thank
you.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
Not seeing anybody else We will
now take up non agenda public
comment The council members
respect and appreciate
the public's input and are
fully committed to protecting
every participant's free speech
rights at Council and committee
meetings but please proceed
with public comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pearl 2.7 On
the agenda Public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to comment on items
that are not on the agenda but
within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the City
Council.
Each speaker will have two
minutes.
Please know if there are eight
or more speakers on a single
topic the maximum time for
the topic will be 16 minutes.
If you're in chambers place
some of your speakers late.
If you're joining us virtually
now's the time to raise your
hand by pressing the raise your
hand icon or if you are calling
participant Star nine If I
could have Jacob Edwards please
come forward and if I can have
Blair Beekman, please come
forward to the other reserved
seats.
Jacob Edwards You'll have two
minutes When you get to the mic
you can proceed when ready.
>> Thank you for being the two
men Excuse very quick I'm going
to try some this off as quickly
as possible.
There's a lot to it.
We have a lot of concerns in
this country.
Our country has been hijacked
our federal government agencies
by the mafia.
It sounds crazy and it is It is
absolutely the case They're
doing such things as rolling
federal grant money through
mayors offices.
Did the same thing in San
Francisco outing the past mayor
where the entire city is mafia
in where is is the tug of war
You had federal threat of
federal indictments over him
for mismanaging federal money.
Now this is madness absolutely
crazy And the Chinese I've
recently become aware of well
aware of what's going on they
have paid close attention to
that The allegiance was working
for the mob and what they do
going in behind them Bamboozle
them, bamboozling them for
the hijacking city is really
maybe hijacked by the Chinese
that we have some serious
national security threat issues
And that's why I was speaking
upon a lawsuit with the federal
government offering protection
orders protecting the mayor You
city council seats this city
hall, the police department
which would be standing up for
the citizens of San Diego who
would be standing up for
the city and our country our
country's future is at stake.
Our lives are at stake.
Chinese well aware that
the Gambino's and the Genovese
and the crime families would
have us disposed of and badly
hurt American citizens.
They were keeping it under
wraps waiting, waiting for
the crime families to badly
hurt us to swoop in as our
savior, take out our
government, take out the crime
families.
That's why Donald Trump bomb
Iran to beat China and we're
building comment blurb Ackerman
If you can please come forward
.
All right where we can be nice
to think that all the whales I
was hanging around with in
Hawaii and now we can be
listening to this conversation.
It's nice listening to their
conversations this past month.
I hope I can offer a few words
from the international level
that I relate to at work here
at the local level.
It's time to note the surprise
of the recent us Israel
airstrikes in Iraq.
In Iran there was also a
respected negotiation process
that was taking place between
these different sides in
the Middle East.
It makes these current
airstrikes all the more
surprising as it possibly has
no clear end plan and reminder
and how often the us itself can
break agreements of trust.
Thank you for the words of
counsel personnel aware that
our national security here at
the local level does need to be
seriously questioned by
ourselves.
Good luck in the work we do
together at this time.
It's from this to note at a
local level we are simply
getting better and how to
seriously limit and to not
simply allow the practices of a
continual war from the national
level to overly affect the day
to day practices here at
the local community level.
The current growth at the local
level, better reasoning and
best practices and the current
local efforts that specifically
can work towards peace and not
war can simply offer incredibly
good examples in how countries
at the national level can also
limit war as these ideas of
best practices.
Here we're doing content We
help work towards the dialog
piece to solve differences in
the future.
I can't stress enough that
the work we do attack
accountability just creates
incredibly good examples of
open democracy best practices
dialog We work on these things
locally.
It creates incredible examples.
Our federal level will have to
take notice of So good luck to
ourselves in our continued work
at doing best practices here
What we know how to do best and
that will just bring peace to
everyone.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
I started the moment of time
are going to those
participating remotely.
Growing up or speakers in
the queue 8700 if you can
please unmute after that is
Peggy Walker 8700.
Thank you.
Another 53 or excuse me our
precious water.
It begins with snow Then it
becomes the Colorado River
water.
Then after a long journey of
over 242 miles we cook and
drink the miracle of water.
This miracle this is our utmost
respect and that is not what is
happening from the people
involved and the systems they
have put in place to harness it
and manage it.
Please read the article from
this past Valentine's Day
titled Western States Again
The Deadline for Water Bill.
Here's what We need.
Crowfoot California's Natural
resource secretary said talks
would continue even after
today's deadline.
Negotiations and even after
today's deadline.
Negotiations in recent weeks
have centered on the five year
plan during which states share
in water cuts.
While the states in
conservation conservation
naturally in hopes of
stabilizing the water supply to
a longer term water sharing
deal can be struck.
End of quote from me from
Google If the federal
government interested change it
will involve legal pushbacks
involving our precious miracle
of water.
Please don't let that happen.
More from me later.
I'm really following this
closely.
Please join me in this blog to
all thank you.
>> Next is Peggy Walker.
If you can please unmute Peggy
Walker after that is 749.
Thank you.
Good morning.
As a public health professional
and use mentor I came to share
that yesterday was world team
Mental Wellness Day.
It's observed worldwide
annually to raise awareness
about mental health issues
impacting teenagers but it
should be a daily observation.
We need to better educate about
the devastating devastating
impact of the increasing number
of intoxicating addictive drugs
being normalized and made
available to young people in
today's marketplace.
Easy access to high potency
marijuana bounce and dispenser
and on the Internet promises
that legalization would prevent
youth access have failed.
And studies show youth use goes
up when dispensaries are
located where young people
live.
The harmful mental health
impacts are well documented.
Further teens are confronted by
a bevy of unregulated
intoxicating drugs.
So the neighborhood convenience
and liquor stores, gas stations
and smoke shops many are
exported from China.
The sheriff's department has
issued warnings about these and
a multitude of candy and snack
products packaged to attract
kids that are mislabeled,
intoxicating and cannot be
trusted in terms of content.
Addictive Kratom seven products
are increasingly available but
unregulated as are nitrous
oxide products like Galaxy Gas.
The da's office and doctors are
warning that youth are
suffering addiction and serious
cold burns from nitrous oxide.
I'm here to urge increased
public education which is
critical for public
understanding that these
intoxicating but unregulated
products are increasingly
common and dangerous.
Thank you for your time.
Thank u next 27499 if you can
please And after that is our
next go.
So before I let Bob Kazuki here
my recent speeches have been
highlighting the problems that
arise when a government shirks
its duties and turns government
functions over to a private
business.
That's been happening in San
Diego for years under recent
administrations and I've given
several notable examples.
Let's remember San Diego Mayor
Jerry Sanders allowing a
private business to set up
their own red light camera
system to issue tickets to
citizens and take a cut of
the profits.
But Mayor Filner discontinued
that practice.
Let's remember a private
business deciding that they
didn't want to accept cash in
our city parking structure.
They were forcing citizens
these electronic payment to
park in our own city parking
structure.
Let's remember the ongoing
requirement for citizens to be
tracked by constant contact in
Highland Cloud in order to
obtain updates and to access
city documents like the agendas
for this meeting.
Let's remember the ongoing
requirement to join use for
private business and sign an
abusive contract with our
California adventure and other
private business in order to
hang glider paraglider to our
own Torrey Pines City Park.
That abuse of contract requires
citizens to pay to use their
park and agree not to sue
the business even if
the business is negligent.
But it's even worse than that
because being a member of you
limits citizens rights to even
speak to this council or to
even testify in court against
you.
But back to businesses.
In other words, in order to use
our city park we cannot come
and speak to this council about
abuses at that park.
We cannot testify in court
about abuses at that park or we
risk expulsion from use but
which denies us access to our
city park That is outrageous.
These are just the examples
that I've personally
encountered in the city.
It's likely just the tip of
the iceberg In all of these
cases citizens are forced into
relationships of one form or
another with a private business
in order to access city owned
resources.
This must not be allowed to
continue.
Joe Lacob It's time to
reactivate the Torrey Pines
City Park Advisory Board and
implement the Torrey Pines
waiver to protect citizens
against the abuse of business
that you've put in.
>> If you can please unmute.
>> Yes.
Ernie Casco Lori Resident
Senior Pilot Torrey Pines gone
to court.
I second Bob's statement there.
It's time to stop decline
within the college
administration.
Torrey Pines My report
complaint is welcome mounted on
your desk.
I should not be forced to sign
a leaseholder Illegal access
pass waiver when city
liabilities are already covered
by California statutes laws.
It is misappropriation of
public funding going into
private accounts and demands
for transparent city audit that
would end the corruption.
It is illegal for anyone for
anyone Joe Lacob to turn our
freedom into a privilege for a
license and a fee under any
terms, circumstances or
conditions.
Allowing this crime to continue
is a violation of your oath of
office and automatic forfeiture
of your chair.
We have a petition to block
the beach recreational scandal
to stop the illegal
commercialization and
privatization of Torrey Pines
Glider Park.
What else do we have?
We have unanimous letter of
support from La Hoya Town
Council Locations Association
to Stop the corruption out of
your administration and
reconvene Torrey Pines Advisory
Board for Public Safety and
Oversight.
Why haven't you taken action?
What City Council has a
beautiful proven solution known
as the San Diego Recreational
Waiver that would end
the dispute on your desk?
The San Diego recreational
waiver stops the city lease
over internal corruption by
separating the business.
You're out of control Business
from public access.
Your city leaseholder is caught
blatantly robbing America
forcing citizens into an
illegal contract.
It is your job to stop it.
The City Council is ultimately
liable and needs to address
victims and witness witnesses
who have been damaged.
>> The San Diego Your time has
concluded Judy Strang if you
can please on know the five
minute timer is also concluded
No additional speakers will be
taken to restrain and then
hector Me?
>> Yes.
Good morning.
Thank you for this opportunity
to speak to you from my
workshop.
I do not take this opportunity
lightly.
I wanted to share with you that
California is an act of
the first law ab 455 that
requires sellers of single
family homes to disclose in
writing any known indoor
smoking, vaping or thirdhand
smoking or vapor contamination
to prospective buyers.
This is marijuana or tobacco.
Third hand smoke refers to
toxic residue left behind from
smoke or vapor When they settle
into surfaces into building
materials.
These pollutants are classified
under Prop 65 as carcinogens
and reproductive toxins because
they can persist for years and
pose particular risks to
children, the elderly and
immunocompromised individuals.
It's very hard to remove Baby
four by five classifies third
hand Smoke is an environmental
hazard comparable to investors
radon and lead paint.
I bring this to your attention
because it is the first in
the nation.
It's so pervasive that it
becomes part of the California
Department of Toxic Substances
Control and it'll go in
the homeowner's Guide to
Environmental Hazards.
It's significant that it
recognizes the role of tobacco
and marijuana smoke and vapor
in the health of everyone
around us.
One has to ask ourselves here
in the city why we have
businesses that promote and
make available those things
that can be smoked and baked
when it's so clearly hazardous
to all of our health.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
And our final speaker is
Hector.
If you can please unmute.
Thanks for taking my call to
Hector here.
I got another message to
the people the occupiers of San
Diego County counter invaders
and here illegally that are
using our benefits medical
benefits.
It was in the paper that 75,000
guys on Medicare that are
illegal aliens.
So there's a these guys get to
take their bodies and their
families and go back to their
countries, man.
MR. Trump, you got your number
now you got those illegal
benefits.
You don't want to have
the knock on the door when I
start wrapping up the raids.
So if you care about your
family, sit down with them.
I go back to wherever it is we
came from because we're afraid
of the knock on the door.
You know, if that's what's
going to happen they know where
you're not.
So to actually free up a lot of
housing for American citizens
in San Diego County just like
the 75,000 people have to go,
that's probably 120,000 people.
That's got to lower the rent.
It'll create less traffic on
the freeways, open up a lot of
jobs for American citizens.
And we can go about trying to
build that dam before it breaks
And so if it does break up
there, it might wipe out Bill
Gates house.
You've got a house on the beach
down there.
Maybe it'll be a good thing if
it does break takes out Bill
Gates House and we can move on
with our lives.
Okay.
Thanks a lot.
Thank you.
That concludes our agenda
Public comment for today's
meeting.
I thank you, City Clerk And
with that we will now adjourn
for the noon recess and
reconvene open session at 2
I can count to five.
Good afternoon.
I will now reconvene the City
council meeting of Tuesday
MARCH 3rd, 2026.
>> Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
member Campbell Councilmember
Whitburn Councilmember Foster
Councilmember Bunuel for
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Councilmember Campeon
Councilmember Moreno Present
Councilmember Eloy Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
present.
Also taking the meeting are Sin
City Attorney Michelle Garland,
independent budget analyst
Charles Monaco, Council Affairs
advisor and the Mayor's office
for I'm sorry and myself our
city clerk Diana Fuentes.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you city clerk for that.
The quorum is now present.
>> clerk Please introduce item
three three zero three Council
PRESIDENT Item 330 As an
informational item it is
the performance audit of
the city's key performance
indicators.
If you'd like to speak to this
item please submit a speaker
slip to the front of the room
in the clear box If you are
participating remotely now's
the time to raise your hand by
pressing Star nine or the raise
your hand icon.
Thank you Council for that.
All right Thank you With that
staff as you're trying to
settle in, please introduce
yourselves for the record and
let us know how much time you
need.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Members Andy House City Auditor
We are here to present our
performance audit of the city's
key performance indicators or
KPIs And we have about ten
minutes please.
All right.
When you're ready.
Thank you.
According to the city's
strategic plan, the city values
transparency and the use of
data to make informed
decisions.
To that end, kpi should be a
key management and transparency
tool.
But we found the city
underutilized as them due to
concerns about accuracy and
relevance and a lack of venues
for the City Council to discuss
and provide feedback on
the KPIs departments produce.
We want to thank
the performance and analytics
department for all of their
assistance on this audit and
all the city departments and
council offices who responded
to our survey on how they use
KPIs and their suggestions for
improvement.
We heard back from almost every
department and council office
and we appreciate all the time
and feedback you are provided
to help this audit identify
many key issues and make
actionable recommendations to
improve the usefulness of KPIs
for various stakeholders.
The audit team with me here
today is Principal Performance
Auditor Nathan Auto Senior
performance under Nicky Thomas
and performance auditor Alberto
Mario and I handed over to them
for the details on what we
found and recommended.
Thanks Andy.
So for any large complex
multibillion dollar
organization performance
measurement is an essential
tool in this case allowing
residents and taxpayers to
monitor and engage with how we
as a city are performing.
And as you're aware, of course
the city is facing considerable
fiscal challenges for
the foreseeable future which
makes performance monitoring
just that much more important.
You can see.
Three formal audit objectives
there on the slide.
But overall we had two formal
findings.
And broadly we found that KPIs
are underutilized like Andy
said.
The result of that is that a
city is missing chances to make
the best data driven decisions
in monitoring for key services.
We found that improved
oversight of the city's kpi is
needed to ensure accuracy and
accountability.
And a formal kpi philosophy is
needed to improve comparability
.
So we made five recommendations
to address the issues we found
and the management did agree to
all of those recommendations.
So that's a good thing.
And just the last slide for me
here just by way of background
KPIs as you know are reported
annually and published for each
department in the city's budget
documents.
There's also a kpi dashboard
but you can see the more
familiar version there the blue
and white table that is in
the budget documents.
This is a generic form here to
keep your eyes include a
baseline which is based off of
recent historical data and a
goal set by the Department.
And performance and analytics
plays a supporting role.
But the departments have a lot
of autonomy.
They're responsible for
selecting, monitoring and
reporting their own KPIs.
Go ahead.
I'll happen again.
Another time for the findings
and recommendations.
I looked at performance order
in this project and finding
one.
We found that in our survey of
city council offices and city
departments only one out of
seven council officers and nine
out of 27 departments reported
routinely using KPIs to inform
budget policy and or
operational decisions.
Thus the city is not
consistently using KPIs to
inform high level decisions.
When used correctly, KPIs can
lead to meaningful
improvements.
We found examples of city
departments and other cities
using KPIs to help deliver
improved outcomes for residents
and evaluate present programs
and services.
For example, quotes on this
slide are from our survey
showing specific examples of
how departments have used KPIs
for decision making.
The Office of the City Clerk
used their performance data to
improve customer satisfaction.
Similarly the library
department use their kpi to not
only improve their future
performance but also taking
actions to meet
the accessibility needs of
the community.
There are limited controls and
oversight that would ensure key
performance indicators are
accurate and reliable.
For example part of Council
policy 000-02 requires
departments provide
explanations for performance
measures not meeting or
training towards performance
targets shown on the slide.
We found that departments were
not consistently provided
explanations.
Additionally for the past for
the last ten years
the Statement of Budgetary
Principles has included
guidance for KPIs to be
reviewed at the Budget and
Government Efficiency
Committee.
However, we found no evidence
that KPIs have been discussed
in a systematic or regular
manner at b n g from fiscal
year 2015 through fiscal year
2025.
Reviewing performance data on a
regular basis can help identify
trends before they become
problems and help ensure timely
performance management.
Because kpi has received
limited scrutiny and
examination, a standalone
performance report specifically
for KPIs could strengthen
oversight create a culture of
continuous improvement and
promote performance monitoring
as a year round activity
inaccurate or unreliable KPIs
put the city at risk of
inaccurate performance
assessments resulting in
improper policy or management
decisions.
Shown on the Slide 11 different
audits by oci have identified
various issues with KPIs that
were unrealistic, inaccurate,
not relevant or did not follow
best practices.
We also found that council
officers have concerns
regarding the accuracy of
the current KPIs reported in
the budget.
Although pen requires all
the city's KPIs to meet certain
standards such as calculation
methodology and it does not
have the capacity to check a
kpi for accuracy Thus
publishing the kpi calculation
methodology and annual
performance report can
strengthen the oversight of
KPIs by providing a dedicated
forum for departments to review
their kpi methodologies and
potentially discuss them with
City Council or city
leadership.
The city's KPIs are currently
published in tables in
the annual Budget and
the performance dashboard.
However, the city does not
publish tables or graphs with
historical kpi data.
We found that most cities that
we benchmark publish their
historical performance in
online dashboards.
Therefore the city can improve
its online kpi dashboard by
incorporating visuals and
historical data.
Being able to visualize
historical data can help
identify performance trends
over time and improve
monitoring and oversight.
As a supplement to this audit
report we built a performance
dashboard which is shown on
the right as an example of how
the city's dashboard could be
improved to include historical
trends and description.
You can access the city.
You can access the dashboard we
created to view the city's
current KPIs at the link on our
slide and in our report.
Therefore in this finding we
recommend developing a
publishing an annual
performance report for
the city's KPIs creating a kpi
data validation process and
ensure accuracy of the city's
KPIs and developing a publicly
accessible dashboard that
includes historical performance
.
Nick You know what you're
finding too.
Thank you all there To become a
senior performance auditor on
this project.
In finding two we found that
Panda provides support,
training and guidance to
departments on their KPIs but
the three does not have a
formal enforceable policy on
whether kpi should be
aspirational or realistically
achievable.
For example, one department may
set aspirational kpi goals
meaning at the ideal service
level and therefore MAY not be
able to achieve all of
the goals with their
department's budgeted
resources.
At the same time another
department means that its kpi
goals to be attainable and
therefore can report meeting
all of their kpi goals.
Thus we found that meeting a
kpi goal is not necessarily
indicative of how a department
is performing.
As a result, as you can see on
the graph we found that
the percent of KPIs that met
their targets varies widely
across city departments ranging
from 0% to 100% due to
the differing ways in which
departments select kpi goals.
It is unclear what conclusions
decision makers and the public
are supposed to reach.
Further, our survey found mixed
beliefs on whether kpi should
be more realistic or
aspirational.
The quotes on this slide are
from our survey.
One response is that kpi should
be aspirational so council can
decide if increased budget is
required.
But the other state that
aspirational KPIs could lead to
unreasonable expectations from
the public.
Most departments and council
offices that took our survey
did agree that departments
should have at least one
realistic kpi and one
aspirational kpi.
Thus a city wide kpi policy
where departments must clearly
define if a target is realistic
or aspirational would help city
council and the public to
compare KPIs across the city
and understand how a kpi should
be used.
Finally at the time of
the audit the city Attorney's
office was the only department
without at least one kpi due to
its concern that certain KPIs
could lead to the perception of
improper motives or incentives
to meet them from their office.
However we benchmarked against
eight comparable offices and
found that many do have
performance measures.
Therefore in this finding we
recommend that panel work
collaboratively with city
leadership to create a formal
policy documenting the city's
kpi philosophy and that
the City Attorney's office work
with Panda to establish and
report a kpi or KPIs.
Panda and City management
agreed to all five of our
recommendations.
This is an informational item
so no action is required and
we're happy to answer any
questions that you MAY have.
Thank you.
But they were all right.
>> So we actually have a
presentation I think first by
Panda.
Alex, I want you to inject
yourself for the record.
>> Sure.
Thank you.
Good afternoon And thank you.
Counsel Present.
My name is Alex Compton and I
serve as director of
the Performance and Analytics
Department.
Our department's mission is
simple to improve how the city
works.
We do that by putting people
first by making data more
usable processes easier and
services better for
the residents of San Diego.
I'll say candidly in a
transparent and holistic
information sharing hasn't
always been the city's
strongest area.
We know that our key
performance indicators can and
must be outcome driven clearer,
more useful to both decision
makers and the public.
The good news is that we are
making steady incremental
progress even within limited
resources.
Thanks in part to this audit
and to the work already
underway across departments
we're seeing measurable
improvement.
One important step forward this
year is the release of
the first volumes of our
comprehensive citywide
performance report.
For the first time this report
will provide a city wide view
of how the organization is
performing.
It will include performance
details for every city
department and will complement
and strengthen department's
annual KPIs.
This is about more than just
reporting metrics.
It's about helping us measure
what truly matters for San
Diegans and ensuring that
performance information is
clear, accessible and aligned
with community priorities.
I want to thank the City
Auditor and the audit committee
for their support and
recognition of the importance
of this work And I would also
like to thank the independent
budget analyst and Kim Desmond
and the Division of Race and
Equity for their partnership
and collaboration on this
effort.
We look forward to continuing
this work and strengthening how
we measure share and improve
performance across the city.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you Alex for that.
And now I'll turn it over to
the office of the Independent
journalist.
Thank you and good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava and
members of the Council.
I'm Erin Noel with the Office
of the ipa.
And with me is Kim Desmond from
Reese and Equity.
Our office does not have
concerns about this item but I
would like to provide brief
comments on three items and
after I conclude I'll pass it
off to Kim to make some
comments regarding
the importance of KPIs and race
inequities work First as
the City auditor staff noted.
This report is intended to help
start a broader conversation on
the city's use of key
performance indicators.
The audit highlights and we
agree that KPIs are essential
for transparency,
accountability and data driven
decision making especially as
the city faces ongoing fiscal
challenges.
KPIs can be valuable tools for
prioritizing programs and
services, evaluating program
effectiveness and enabling
course correction and ensuring
that limited resources are
allocated to areas with
greatest impact.
This means focusing on outcome
oriented KPIs rather than just
outputs or activities.
For example, dsd has a current
output focused kpi measuring
the percentage of building
inspections completed by
the target date which provides
more actionable insight than
simply counting the number of
inspections.
Second, our office works with
the performance and analytics
department and race inequity to
provide feedback for some key
department KPIs in DECEMBER and
JANUARY.
And we plan to continue
reviewing departmental KPIs as
part of our overall review of
the proposed budget.
And lastly regarding the Budget
and Government Efficiency
Committee's review of KPIs as
mentioned by MR. Hampton, Panda
is anticipating bringing an
item on the comprehensive
Citywide Performance report
related to kpi philosophy to be
Jenny and potentially JUNE or
JULY.
And this will help to initiate
review and discussion of KPIs.
And now I'll pass it off to
Kevin Desmond from Reason
Equity.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Carbone
Members of Council Kim Desmond
here serving as the Director
for the Division of Region
Equity and ipa.
So wanted to provide some
comments in three categories.
First and foremost you heard
the current state and thank you
to the auditor for providing
this level of analysis will be
candid from a reasonably
perspective to say it is a
challenge to identify equity
without consistent KPIs.
And so with that in this
partnership to address gaps,
disparities in efficiencies in
recreation programs and
stormwater systems, we need to
be clear about the data equity
is an outcome and if it's
inconsistent around
the departments it is really a
challenge for us to do our work
to really systematically
dismantle inequity in the way
that we allocate either fiscal
allocations or how we change
ongoing operations.
And so with that grateful for
that.
And so as noted in the report
we see the inconsistency in
that.
So for recent equity to do our
job we want to make sure that
we're partnering with Panda to
work with all the departments
to get more pointed in precise
around the subjectivity in
the way that KPIs are set.
And so that is a huge culture
shift.
So some of the things that we
have seen for example is making
sure the department goals and
objectives actually match their
KPIs.
And so in order to measure
progress to the auditor's
comment, how do you know
historically you're addressing
the challenges if that's
inconsistent each year?
And so these are the things
that dray instead of just
complaining about it, we're
working with kind of to figure
out how do we fix these things
and how do we make sure that
there is an organizational
shift towards what it means to
be more concise with setting
KPIs in that manner?
And so with that I will say
this data without context is
just information.
And so what we endeavored to do
is to look at the technical
equity plan infrastructure as a
way to contextualize how we're
talking about problematic
disparities through our
different departments.
And so the tv dashboard is
going to be used to provide
context.
So when you're talking about
I'm looking at you talking
Moreno around your excellent
work with your programing
audit.
That's the context, right?
And so in that context we made
an ask questions.
I'm looking to Councilmember
Foster around where are we at
with addressing those
problematic get?
So these are all KPIs.
Equity is an outcome and we got
to do better with how we
showcase that in our work to
address those gaps disparities
in efficiencies.
And so in that we know
the evidence is hard to digest
we could all look at that
right?
And so it is counter we want to
consider how do we have a value
to charter really gives us
the information that we need to
increase the auditor's
perspective built around who's
actually utilizing these Keep
your eyes And so we want to
make sure that the velocity
that you have is easily
digestible and understandable
as you are looking at volume
two of the budget book.
And so I do want to close with
this by saying the work to
change a cultural shift We do
consider KPIs is a large
structural change in this
organization.
And so pointing to
the auditor's finding around
there's one fte in our team has
started to offer workshops with
those employees.
So I want to give a shout out
to Alex Tang and Justin around
.
Getting into the work of an
outcome is different than an
input.
Don't say you're making
progress when you're counting
by people, right?
And so we want to make sure
that we are being more concise
with the way that we are
reporting outcomes.
And also I would say the ways
in which different council
districts MAY have different
levels of engagement as a part
of this conversation.
And so these are all the things
that we want to make sure that
we are able to shift that
culture especially in the space
where the city budget
constraints will happen.
Our ability to allocate more
staffing to this endeavor.
But I will close with this by
saying for recent equity to do
this work will we need to fix
the inconsistency in KPIs that
is our huge challenge.
And so happy to address any
questions and how we see that
throughout all the departments
.
All right.
Thank you to the Office of
the Independent Auditor.
Thank you to Panda and thank
you to the Office of
the Independent Budget analyst
and Kim's work under recent
equity.
>> So with that please proceed
with public comment.
We have no speakers here in
council chambers going to those
participating remotely.
We currently have four speakers
with their hands raised.
Doreen Diaz if you can please
unmute and to speak on the item
330 regarding the performance
audit.
>> Yes, thank you.
I'm very happy to hear that
Raised in auditing Sorry I
didn't write down the full
name.
Recent equity is going to be
looking at the kpi for accuracy
There is issues other than
inconsistency and kpi but
please please special attention
to all the kpi you receive from
developmental services and from
the Planning Department because
only in areas domestic areas
fostering stating that in very
tight fire zones and
applications when in fact they
are and the developers are
getting away with it So when
you see something unless you're
actually verifying it please do
not rely on this kpi.
Another example is the drainage
can.
It's been cleaned twice since
the JANUARY 22nd 2024 flood
twice and it is still invasive
weed.
I had a neighbor report last
month or JANUARY Gary again
that the drainage channel had
come into her backyard
destroyed grass it made mud but
your records might say oh we
had maintenance done in this
area If you do not go there
right there and look at it,
please do not believe what is
put on paper from that
stormwater department or that
dsd or planning because we are
witnessing breaking flood and
what your time has concluded
next is John Stump.
>> If you can please unmute
after John Stump of the 8700
piece procedure Hi John Stump
keep copies.
I want to thank the very
talented and committed persons
who worked on this project and
are committed to it.
You know I am past CHAIRMAN Of
the Equal Opportunity
Commission under three mayors
and I served on the government
efficiency and fiscal reform
body.
I also serve the city and
county on a Joint Powers Agency
for more than 20 years.
You know the problem with CPAs
at the moment it's it's like
rearranging the deck chairs on
the Titanic.
The ship you are in fiscal
crisis you don't have
the ability to budget and you
overspend that council needs to
focus its time on reducing its
spending and learning how to
budget.
You know it's very nice that
we're going to spend a lot of
time I think there's what six
staff persons here working on
KPIs but yet the city is $100
million overspend.
The first thing that you need
to do is get the performance
indicators that you can spend
only within your revenues.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next is when I'm running an
8700 If you come please and you
think you are Joyce said you
had a cd three First of all I
have a dream realized you have
now and that is because
the CPGs are have been looked
at in audits and it's unfolding
And the second part of
the degree is can dezmond and
she's part of reason equity
thank you to the forces that be
you know here we go I vote for
really realistically all
realistic okay this is my
letter to start with the public
I think your public I have to
at the top of my f 127 budget
needs any additional needed
cost and funding for
implementation and monitoring
that she can transparency and
oversight of what the audit
committee so beautiful is
recommending your public
the best way to get your needs
realized in your communities is
with the vigilant use of kpi.
If we need more resources let's
get them.
If we need more money let's
find it.
Councilmember Rivera this shell
shell provide one answer to
your beautiful important
question What city are we
trying to be?
Office of the City Auditor By
standards Award on this Thank
you Panda.
Thank you.
Thank you, Officer Grayson
Equity.
And lastly, could we please
have panda shadow each
department during
implementation like they did
with the p u d?
This is a beautiful moment.
Let's celebrate and let's get
it done now.
Love you all.
I'm so excited.
>> Thank you.
Next is Alvin.
Let's try it again.
Please unmute.
And my name's Allerdale Mastro
and the Performance de
Performance Indicator.
I can't tell you how
disappointed I am in San Diego.
I know that the revenues are at
an all time high than our
staff.
Your staff has increased 27%
over the last five years even
though the population has only
increased 1%.
Some of the decisions that have
been made I can't find anybody
that even would understand why
going out and spending $65
million on trash cans in
the middle of this crisis when
many of the citizens have
pretty functional trash cans
and being able to replace them
is just baffling to me.
The other thing that's baffling
is the accountability here that
you have for your employees In
2004 a turn an attorney that
worked for the city made
$200,000 and she was in she got
a $100,000 raise and was able
to take a four month cruise
which was considered working at
home.
This is the kind of waste and
abuse that the public sees And
and we just don't understand
it.
You want us to believe that if
you cut that out I don't
understand why you wouldn't cut
that.
i haven't heard an explanation
by these panels on these
different issues.
I don't even know how many city
employees go into the office
every day what the policy is.
There could be a lot of
overstepping there and only
thing that seems to be willing
to be cut is a library or a
park or some one is a staff so
large and how is that helping
any performance as our roads
are terrible our street lights
on on.
Oh thank you.
Thank you.
The five minute timer has
included There were five
speakers with their hands at
the time.
No additional speakers will be
taken there only two speakers
with their hands raised now as
well.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
Beekman if you can please on
it.
All right.
Thank you.
We're Big Ben.
Thanks a lot for this item.
It's kind of new to myself.
I mean I have been here you
guys talking about kpi for
the past year or so and I'm
still not totally familiar with
it.
I'm kind of slow at this stuff
and but I'm trying to catch up
.
>> I really liked the comment
from the first public comment
or today on this item is she
made a lot of sense and how I
can understand this issue
the way I'm understanding it
for myself and understanding is
that kpi can be a very nice
reference point and factual
reference point of how to
understand you know your
projects and items and how
they're working And it sounds
like what you were talking
about in the presentation is do
you want to add to that and
present it more in terms of
what can be project goals and
how do you incorporate kpi into
actual corporate project goals
or do you want to treat kpi
Well I think kpi should be
treated as a very factual
accountable thing giving
information about the project
very specific and and you
shouldn't try to overemphasize
being persuasive or overly
flowery with its subject
matter.
Now that comes back to what
the first public comment you
said where he was describing
they're just getting their
facts wrong and something is
going wrong with the facts
process.
>> You're not even doing that
part correctly fully.
So I think you've got to really
pare down and make sure that
kpi is doing something
incredibly factual and we can
just trust it to no end That
there's no partizanship
involved with it just
delivering you know, straight
back about it This is happening
and this is happening and that
takes practice to do that And
then on top of that then you
can add the flowery intentions
and what you know I hope it can
be of a project on top of that
That's my guest work.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Our final speaker is Francine
Maxwell You're going to take
from you Afternoon Francine
Maxwell Southeastern San Diego.
Thank you so much for
the presentation from a
department the audit committee
audit department that we truly
trust.
We have some suspects when it's
time to shift and look at other
departments that are
independent and who they
actually are working for and
reporting for And so k p I's
are extremely important because
right now given our fiscal
challenges we are going to be
leading and paying close
attention.
We're looking for the city
council who happens to be
the housing authority
Absolutely to let go over 33
since San Diego Housing
Commission did.
And so when we're looking at
cuts, when we're looking at a
continuation of care, when
we're looking at equity
absolutely equity for
the taxpayers, the citizens,
the residents And again, when
we're looking at the fact that
there's too many deputy
directors, too many middle
management, this tanda
department should be screaming
Kay, eyes on how much waste we
have when we look at our org
chart.
So again, thank you so much for
this presentation.
We look forward to 10th and we
have a lot of work to do as a
city.
Thank you so much for allowing
me to speak.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on this item.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk As a
reminder this is an information
item No motions required but
I'll turn it over to council
members for questions and
comments And we'll start with
the chair of the audit
committee.
>> Council Member Moreno Thank
you for the presentation and
thank you again to the audit
team for another great audit
Key performance indicators are
important tools for not just
the department using them as
metrics throughout the year but
also for the public and
the City council which is why I
request id for this audit to be
done When done right they allow
us to make budget decisions
based on data and allow us to
see the effectiveness of
spending taxpayer dollars on
one activity versus another.
Unfortunately the way many KPIs
are used and produced here in
the city not are not very
useful for members of
the public or the city Council
to utilize when evaluating
the effectiveness of a
department in providing a
service.
The annual budget includes KPIs
within each department and I
could attest to the fact that
they are often simply not a
good metric to use to determine
a department's effectiveness at
providing a surface service.
This creates a scenario where
the KPIs are not relied upon by
the City Council During
the annual budget discussion
and that is just very
unfortunate.
We love to say we're a data
driven city but this audit
shows we are budgeting year in
and year out without good data
to support budget allocations.
One part of the problem is that
the KPIs are all over all over
the place and not consistent in
what is being measured.
Some as was mentioned are
aspirational goals while some
are focused unrealistic
outcomes based solely on what
can be done down to the dollar
,these inconsistencies make
them less meaningful measures
for policymakers to consider
when balancing the budget to
ensure these are improved and
helpful to the public,
the Council and public must
have an opportunity to
interface with department staff
to create meaningful KPIs.
Recommendation 1.1 is to
develop and publish an annual
performance report for
the city's KPIs separate from
the city's budget document and
to discuss it at the Budget and
Government Efficiency
Committee.
I think this makes sense and is
definitely a good start to
making improvements to our
KPIs.
In fact our own statement of
budgetary principles say that
the KPIs will be reviewed and
discussed at committee so we
should already be doing it.
However, I would go beyond just
issuing an agenda using a
report and say that multiple
council committees should
discuss the KPIs of the major
city departments that are
tasked with monitoring each
year that we're tasked with
monitoring each year pd
Transportation stormwater stp
fire Those are some that could
be a focus conversation that
provides department directors
with clear direction about what
would be the what would be most
helpful in determining
the effectiveness of a
department's activity
throughout the year.
Finally, I do very much agree
with the recommendations
regarding the city having a
publicly accessible dashboard
that includes historical data
to demonstrate departmental
performance over time.
Other cities do this and
updating it regularly is good
and transparent government
policy and it would be very
useful to the members of
the public especially when
discussing the budget each year
.
The report includes five
recommendations including
developing an annual
performance report establishing
kpi data validation process and
creating a policy that
documents the city's kpi
philosophy.
I.
I do want to make note that
the performance in Natalie an
analytic department is doing
well with the resource is that
have that they have an interest
in assisting departments with
their KPIs but any real success
at updating the metrics we use
comes down to the management
within each department coming
to hand with accurate and
meaningful metrics to be
considered and then using their
expertise to redefine it So
once again thank you for
the audit and that concludes my
comments.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
We'll go next to council member
Ella Rivera.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you to the auditor
the officers of the auditor as
always for the work that you
all do.
Thank you Councilmember Moreno
for your commitment to not just
the officers to be able to make
sure that we have robust
discussions about what's
brought to your committee.
Our KPIs are should be very
important and could should
serve as a backbone of
effective governance and
accountability And the city
does not have a formal
enforceable policy that clearly
defines whether our KPIs should
be aspirational or
realistically achievable.
I appreciate that this was
named in the report.
I often talk about
the difference between
standards and goals and what do
we want to set standards for
our city and what do we want to
aspire to be as a city in
the future?
And the city should absolutely
be aiming high and signaling
what excellent looks like
excellence looks like And at
the same time we need targets
that are honest about current
capacity and budget so we can
measure our progress toward
those standards.
So finding two lays out a
couple of recommendations.
I'm wondering if if the auditor
could walk us through what
implementation of those
findings would look like in
practice Specifically are there
changes in department
operations reporting structure
oversight?
I can take a first crack at
that.
So finding two there's a couple
of recommendations that go with
that.
The easier one is a smaller one
just has to do with the city
attorney's office to develop a
kpi and they've actually agreed
to do that.
So implementation to your
question there implementation
should be good to go there and
we'll check that with our
regular recommendation follow
up process.
The other recommendation in
that finding was essentially
the kpi philosophy which goes
to that chart we had on there.
The blue bars are all over
the place.
Some departments are achieving
0%, some are achieving 100%.
So the to bring it back to your
question about what would
implementation look look like
there, I think Panda would
probably be the lead
quarterback working with city
leadership hopefully such as
yourselves in your offices in
terms of like what do we want
to do?
Do we want to do a mix of
realistic and aspirational KPIs
like they do at the federal
government or the city and
county of San Francisco?
Some other examples So it would
really be probably Panda
working with city leadership to
articulate that guidance for
departments so that we as a
city are not just all of the So
all over the place.
Yeah well I certainly like
the idea of us setting some
standards vary across
departments of setting some
baseline nice expectations
about what the public and
the council should expect from
different departments And then
you know always aspiring to do
to do better And and in that
conversation there should be an
understanding of what would be
required in terms of resourcing
in order to get to that higher
level.
So thank you again for all
the work that went into this.
I very much appreciate it.
>> That concludes my comments.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Council Member We'll overall go
next to Council member Von
Wolpert.
>> Thank you for the audit and
the work on this.
It has been a challenge to try
and negotiate how KPIs are
tracked across budget years and
sometimes KPIs are different
across budget years without any
notice and sometimes there are
no KPIs And so I just
appreciate you doing this work
as well.
I think one question I do have
and it might be for our
management side is how do we
involve our workers in
developing our KPIs Because our
unions are represented,
Employees are the ones doing
the work every day and so they
MAY see things on the ground
that our management doesn't.
So how do we involve
the workers in developing our
goals for our city?
That's a great question and I
know for our team working on
KPIs where we want to involve
as many people as possible in
the process.
One of our constraints last
year was we see positions from
the team that works on KPIs
were reduced and this year
we're anticipating another
reduction.
So that does kind of limit our
capacity to do as many
workshops and get as much input
as we as we would like.
But I think you bring a really
valid point and we do work with
departments largely upon
request from the departments
will reach out for a coaching
session and that's a great
opportunity to analyze
the employee sentiment survey
results we do twice a year So
that's one great way to
incorporate feedback but we can
look into that more and make
sure that we're casting a wider
net.
Yeah, immediately within
the areas for example
the represented employees all
have leadership within their
unions and so they could be
very helpful in providing
feedback to us.
All right.
Well I appreciate the work on
this and I'm looking forward to
improving our KPIs going
forward.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thanks.
Councilmember Velma Wolpert not
see anybody else in the lights.
Phil offer a few closing
comments.
I want to thank you, COUNCILMAN
Foster.
You can jump in.
Thank you.
i have my apologies.
Council PRESIDENT I mean I'll
keep my comments brief because
this has been something that
has been discussed for quite
some time and I appreciate
the work of the auditor on
this.
I think it's good to have this
item come forward acknowledge
that the KPIs do need
the extensive work that they do
need.
Also appreciate the comments by
the ipa when as it relates to
equity.
But I do want to say this and I
do appreciate how this
conversation is tied to
the budget but it does leave me
in a position as I have dealt
with these over the years and
it takes me back to operations
and as I say, do our directors
truly understand what their
book of business, their
obligation and how to execute
in accordance with all of our
standards The charter federal
statutory requirements, state
requirements and our policies
that we set right As we talk
about the council, as we talk
about council policies, as we
talk about how important equity
is as you can see when we have
an equity conversation I do
appreciate the transparency
that we're hearing as now
the you know, the Department of
Race and Equity is in
the office because Kim, I will
tell you I appreciate
the conversations that we've
been having over the past month
as we are looking at what
improvements we can make.
But I think this drives to
the bigger picture And what I
have been saying that it's very
important that we do have a ceo
and someone with operational
experience because I think we
need that expertise to make
sure that we are executing and
meeting our obligation.
So with that council PRESIDENT
I will leave that there As
Budget Chair I will say I am
very open to this conversation
Looking forward to this
conversation but I am looking
for impact transparency and
accountability, right?
I just can't I just have to
make sure I state that.
So thank you.
All right.
Thanks Councilmember Foster
again, not to anybody else No
lights off for a few closing
comments.
Thank you To the office of
the Independent Audit Auditors
for the good work that you've
done in bringing this forward
and putting it in good plain
speak so that we could wrap our
heads around it.
Thank you for the work of
Performance Analytics Panda for
the work that you do and thank
you to the office of the ipa.
Clearly the move that the City
Council made last JUNE to embed
the Office of Race and Equity
in ipa was a very smart one and
I think it's ultimately going
to be very productive.
I was one of those individuals
who had a very, very, very low
opinion of KPIs going forward
and until I actually heard a
briefing from MR. Iseman and
folks from Panda I had little
hope that there was anything to
be resurrected recommendations
or not if there was no path
forward why bother?
And I think it's somewhat
ironic that most of the work
that's going to be done going
forward is being done by those
middle managers who often get
castigated as the problem with
our city budget.
So I look forward to those
middle managers who bring that
expertise to the conversation
and change it.
The only thing I didn't hear
and I appreciate Councilmember
Moreno and her leadership at
the audit committee and
Councilmember Whitman's role on
the audit committee as well is
where do we go from here?
And a couple of things that
were mentioned I would like
this is there's no action item
here but to suggest that we
don't do a dashboard we've
already convinced ourselves
that the KPIs historically were
not worthy.
Why bother repeating them And
even to go so far as to suggest
that we don't put any KPIs in
the f y 27 budget The work that
panned out and the Office of
recent Equity is doing I've
already heard will not be
completed or reintroduced until
after the budget has to be
adopted So why keep repeating
stuff that actually is not
helpful that the councils are
not off Council members are not
using that departments don't
really believe in And so that
would be my suggestion just to
strip the KPIs out of the f y
27 proposed budget.
Let's take a let's start a
clean slate.
Let's go back to Ground Zero
Given what we've learned what
the auditors figured out, what
the aba is determining and use
that as the new baseline going
forward and maybe allows us to
focus a little bit more on how
we're going to balance in our
budget rather than creating
tools that won't be done in
time.
The last thing I'll say is and
I it probably didn't need to be
said in this audit but I would
throw out there the city
departments don't produce
widgets.
Some departments do something
You can say did you produce You
should be producing ten widgets
a day Are you producing ten
Which is a very easy metric.
A lot of what departments do is
responding proactively or
reactively to what we see going
on around us.
They're responding to new state
laws.
I'm working on policy that I
don't want to be working on but
Sacramento made a new law and I
have to stop everything I'm
doing.
Focus on that So but
the initial briefing of what
When I see where panda and
the eBay is going gives me hope
that we can actually figure out
and tailor KPIs.
I know my colleagues have said
both can be very fundamental,
can also be aspirational and
that also tries to figure out
what resources we need to
actually deliver those KPIs
which I think has always been
sorely lacking.
So with that I'll stop.
Again, thank you to everybody
that's brought this forward.
This was an important thing to
hear.
It took us a while.
The agenda is out so I
appreciate your patience as
well.
All right.
Thank you Again, that was an
information item No motion was
required.
So with that Clark, please
introduce item f501.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Items 501 is
the consideration of an empty
homes tax ballot measure
proposal by council member
Shawn Illo Rivera If you're
here in council chambers and
would like to speak to this
item please be sure to submit a
speaker slip to the front of
the room in the clear box.
If you have people seating you
time please be sure to submit
those speakers slips together
If you are joining us virtually
now's the time to raise your
hand by pressing Star nine or
the raise your hand icon so
that we can hear from you.
>> Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you City Clerk With that
And before we turn it over for
the presentation, I see a
number of individuals some of
you perhaps even many of you
MAY be in chambers for the very
first time and just want to
offer a little bit of thought
about protocols going forward.
There's clearly a lot of
passion about this item You
will hear things you agree
with, you will hear things you
disagree with, extend
the courtesy to whether it is
staff, whether it is a council
member or whether it is a
member of the public that is
speaking.
What we have found at is really
quite effective is by giving us
hand signals You like what a
speaker is saying thumbs up
from up here.
It's very obvious what your
feelings aren't If you hear
things you don't like Thumbs
down.
Again a very strong visual
there but do extend
the courtesy to whoever is
speaking.
I know we're going to have a
lot of speakers here.
We want to give them every one
of them a chance to say their
piece.
And again, whether you agree or
disagree, extend the courtesy
to them and let's get started.
So with that I'm a turn over to
my colleague council member
Isla Rivera and after that will
turn to staff for
the presentation sir.
All right.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
Appreciate the opportunity.
I've just got some introductory
comments before we handed over
to Maya.
We're here for a really simple
reason and that's because San
Diego are paying too much for
housing and families can no
longer wait for additional
action when homes sit empty for
most of the year during a
housing shortage That hurts all
of us.
It hurts renters.
It hurts first time homebuyers.
It hurts the communities that
depend on teachers,
firefighters and other
essential workers being able to
live near where they serve.
Throughout this process we've
referenced the vision and
values that motivate this
proposal.
That's why I bring that up
because we want to reiterate
those and we simply want to.
And are you going to be a city
that works for the people who
live here where the people who
live here can see a future for
themselves, for their families
and their friends And we know
that that is only possible when
people believe that they will
be able to afford to live in
this city and ideally own a
home that can provide
the foundation they need to
grow a family and pursue their
dreams.
The proposal Maya will present
is the product of months and
months and months of rigorous
work.
We work closely with
the Treasurer's office to build
a measure that is operationally
sound and implementable.
We worked extremely closely
with the city Attorney's office
since late spring of last year
who brought in expert outside
counsel to ensure that council
and the public can feel
confident in the legal
foundation that this measure is
built upon.
To that point, some have raised
a similar measure in San
Francisco as a reason for
concern about the legal defense
ability of our proposal And I
saw what I will actually refer
to as pretty irresponsible not
even reporting but opinionated
about whether or not the amount
the proper amount of due
diligence has gone into
bringing this measure forward.
I want to reiterate that
the city attorney's office has
been working on this since last
summer.
They've brought in outside
counsel and they've worked
extremely hard and I want to
make sure that that work is
appreciated because there has
been a significant amount of
work And the result of that is
is a measure that is clearly
distinguishable from San
Francisco much more closely
modeled on one that has
withstood this is operating
successfully without successful
legal challenge for over two
years.
With that I'll hand it over to
Maya for the presentation.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
My name is my process Deputy
Chief of Staff for Policy on
behalf of Councilmember Eli
Rivera.
I'm here to present
the considering of an empty
homes tax ballot measure
proposal by Councilmember Shawn
Eli Rivera and I will need 12
minutes.
The requested action for this
item is as follows requests
the City Council adopts
the ordinance and some item
eight a place on the JUNE 2nd,
2026 municipal Special election
consolidate it with
the California State primary
election one measure amending
the San Diego Municipal Code by
adding Chapter three Article 12
Division one Sections 32 0101
through 30 201 23 relating to
an empty homes tax.
Furthermore requests that
the City Council adopt
the resolution and so we do so
item b directing the city
Attorney to prepare a ballot
title and summary and an
impartial analysis directing
the Mayor, independent budget
analyst and city auditor to
prepare a fiscal impact
analysis and assigning ballot
arguments all regarding one
measure amending the San Diego
Municipal Code by adding
Chapter three Article 12
Division one Sections 32 0101
through 30 201 23 relating to
an empty homes tax to be
submitted to qualified voters
of the City of San Diego at
the Municipal Special election
consolidated with
the California State primary
election to be held on JUNE
2nd, 2026 2026.
Once again our vision of San
Diego that works for the people
who live here where everyone
can see a future for
themselves, their families and
their friends is what guides us
as well as our goals.
Homes for San Diegans Protect
San Diegans from displacement,
protect San Diego's
neighborhoods and make
speculative investors pay their
fair share.
In the United States there are
nearly as many homes kept for
seasonal recreational or
occasional use than
the combined number of homes
listed for rent or listed for
sale.
The us Census Bureau found that
in 2020 there were over 4.6
million homes vacant for
occasional use compared to 3.8
million for rent and 1.2
million for sale.
At the same time, the current
housing supply shortage is
estimated at 2.8 million homes
nationally.
Other cities are taking a stand
to counter the negative impacts
of empty homes and they are all
tailoring their approach based
on local circumstances.
In Berkeley voters approved
the empty homes tax in 2022.
The tax is imposed on homes
vacant for more than 182 days
annually and Berkeley has begun
collecting the tax.
The Montana legislature
increased taxes on residential
properties used as vacation
homes while reducing taxes for
primary residences and
Washington dc adopted a tax for
vacant residential and
commercial properties.
What is an empty home Empty
homes are homes that are not
the primary residents of a San
Diego and are left vacant for
more than 182 days a year or
over half a year.
These MAY be speculative
investments or a vacation home
for personal use.
Bottom line these are homes
the owner has chosen to keep
empty what is not an empty
home.
This tax will not apply to
homes where San Diegans live.
If you live in the home you
own, this does not apply to
your home.
If you are a renter in San
Diego you do not pay this tax
If you are a landlord to San
Diego tenants you and your
tenants do not pay this tax
whether your tenants are long
term or even medium term such
as traveling nurses who rent
for more than 30 days.
If you live in your home with
an 80 you that you keep empty
as an office or for occasional
visitors he will not be taxed
for your 80 you and whole home
year round 2 or 3 and for short
term rentals are not empty
homes in this ballot measure
and won't be taxed as they can
be occupied up to year round
and contribute revenue to
the city via Toti.
In other words 99% of San Diego
homes are not taxed, 99% of San
Diegans are not taxed and 100%
of homes lived in by San
Diegans are not taxed by
the empty homes tax.
Empty homes can be high priced
downtown condos with bay views
such as these on Pacific
Highway.
As you can see many of the Bay
facing and top floor condos are
vacant in La Hoya.
Many of these beachfront condos
are also sitting empty.
But this is not just an issue
with luxury high rises and
beachfront properties which are
not affordable to most San
Diegans even if they did return
to the market.
There are also homes in our
neighborhoods that are being
left vacant.
These are homes that many
though certainly not all San
Diego families could
realistically afford if given
an opportunity Along Friars
Road there are 48 condos
sitting empty and not available
for a San Diegan to move into.
There are 36 in the college
area including three in this
condo.
The most up to date figure is
that there are currently 5140
homes sitting vacant with no
renter or owner living in them
based on the owners filing of a
second home exemption of
the rental unit business tax
with the Treasurer's office.
That exemption is the mechanism
available for identifying empty
homes.
The Treasurer's office will be
able to identify empty homes
using this available data that
has the flexibility to adapt in
the future.
The data shows that while these
properties exist across
the city in every community
they are especially
concentrated 45% of empty homes
are in the downtown La Hoya,
Pacific Beach and Peninsula
Communities.
Currently owners of empty homes
do not pay any additional taxes
or fees for their impact on
the cost of housing or
additional impacts such as
hollowing out neighborhoods,
reducing school enrollment and
changing the neighborhood
character.
For all these reasons we have
proposed an $8,000 annual tax
per empty home beginning in
2020 2027 which increases to
$10,000 beginning in 2028.
With cpi increases beginning in
2029 empty homes held by
corporate and institutional
investors impose additional
burdens on San Diego's housing
market by removing homes from
residential use and treating
housing primarily as a
financial asset.
Corporate ownership is also a
reasonable proxy for commercial
scale activity and speculative
behavior that undermines
neighborhood stability, reduces
housing availability and makes
it harder for San Diego
families to compete for
homeownership in
the communities where they live
and work.
Corporate entities often
benefit from structural
advantages that individual
homeowners do not including
easier access to capital.
The ability to make all cash
offers portfolio strategies and
the capacity to hold properties
vacant without the same
pressures faced by a household
seeking stable housing.
Those same structures can also
make enforcement more
difficult.
When an empty corporate owned
home creates blight code issues
or neighborhood impacts, it is
often harder for the city and
neighbors to quickly identify
responsible decision makers and
secure compliance in practice.
Llc and similar entities can
reduce transparency and diffuse
accountability Increasing
public costs and delaying
remediation.
For these reasons, imposing a
higher rate on corporate owned
empty homes is a fair and
administrative way to reflect
their disproportionate impact
promote compliance and protect
housing availability and
neighborhood quality.
Accordingly, the measure
applies an additional surcharge
of $4,000 beginning in 2027
increasing to $5,000 beginning
in 2028 with cpi increases
beginning in 2029.
We developed exclusions from
the tax that are reasonable and
allow for some empty homes to
not be taxed.
With appropriate verification
by the Treasurer's office.
Exclusions include disaster
period Family and residence
period homeowner period lease
period newly built housing
period non ownership period
owner death period Legacy owner
hardship period owner in care
period and qualifying military
service period.
Exemptions are slightly
different than exclusions but
still require verification from
the Treasurer to be exempted
from the tax.
This exemption an owner of an
empty home that had a bonafide
lease or leases for occupancy
for that specific residential
unit for more than 182 days in
the calendar year prior to its
becoming an empty home can
cover several different
scenarios where a rental
property is not occupied for
more than 182 days in a
calendar year.
Another exemption is for an
owner of a property composed of
four or fewer separate
residential units where
the owner occupies one of
the residential units as their
principal residence.
>> Our office began meeting
with the city Attorney's office
in MAY of last year to start
developing our original tax
proposal which followed a
similar framework as
the proposed empty homes tax
being presented today.
Ten months later our work with
the city Attorney's Office
which included engaging with
our outside counsel focused on
answering legal questions to
ensure that we felt comfortable
moving forward.
Before we even began drafting
the measure we presented our
previous proposal twice at
committee creating significant
opportunities for feedback from
the public and committee
members and shaping the current
proposal for an empty homes tax
that we brought forward two
rules last week.
If the measure moves forward
today and is placed on
the ballot that will be
the result of nearly ten months
of working in close partnership
with the city Attorney's office
and the Treasurer's office to
build a strong and legally
defensible ballot measure.
Then if this passes in JUNE
the Treasurer's office will
have over a year and a half to
develop administrative
regulations, hire staff and
procure tools needed to
implement the measure before
they will send the first bill.
The requested action for this
item again is as follows
Request the city Council adopt
the ordinance and submit them
to place on the JUNE 2nd, 2026
Municipal Special Election
Consolidated with
the California State Primary
election.
One measure amending the San
Diego Municipal Code by adding
Chapter three Article 12
Division one Sections 32 0101
through 30 201 23 relating to
an empty homes tax.
Furthermore request that
the City Council adopt
the resolution in five Item b
directing the City Attorney to
prepare a ballot title and
summary and an impartial
analysis directing the mayor
independent budget analyst and
city auditor to prepare a
fiscal impact analysis and
assigning ballot ballot
arguments all regarding one
measure amending the San Diego
Municipal Code by adding
chapter three Article 12
Division one Sections 32 0101
through 30 201 23 relating to
an empty homes tax to be
submitted to qualified voters
of the City of San Diego at
the Municipal Special election
Consolidated with
the California state primary
election to be held on JUNE
2nd, 2026.
I want to express our team's
appreciation for David and
Brett from the City Attorney's
office as well as Liz Ricardo,
Matt and Hiroto from
the Treasurer's office.
We are all available for
questions.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you Mayor for your
presentation.
With that we'll turn it over to
the Office of the Independent
Budget Analyst.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
council members to help inform
the Rules Committee's
consideration of this item Last
week our office released a
report analyzing the potential
fiscal impacts of this measure
on Tuesday of last week.
As you are all aware and as you
heard in the recommendations,
should this item move forward
to the ballot?
My office in consultation with
the City Order and the cfo will
be tasked with preparing
the fiscal impact Statement for
the ballot.
Given the timeline for when
that statement must be
submitted which is MARCH 10th,
a week from the day we have
been working with the cfo and
the auditor over the last
several weeks and continued
working with them to finalize
our assumptions and fiscal
modeling that will go into that
potential fiscal impact.
I would note that some of our
projections have shifted
slightly since last week to
take into account their input.
And our presentation today will
reflect that although by and
large the overall takeaway that
we presented in our report in
our analysis last week remained
today.
Noah Fleishman from our team
will walk you through our
analysis and his presentation
will take about 12 minutes.
Thank you very much Charles.
Last Tuesday, FEBRUARY 24th our
office released ibm report 20
6-25 which analyzed
the proposed empty homes tax.
We presented the report to
the rules Committee last
Wednesday.
This will be a similar
presentation with a new fiscal
impact modification that I'll
note later on.
The proposed tax if placed on
the JUNE 2026 ballot and
approved by voters would create
a new excise tax on empty homes
in the city of San Diego.
The tax would be $8,000 in
the first year and $10,000 in
the second year.
There would be an additional
surcharge of $4,000 in
the first year and $5,000 in
the second year on empty homes
owned by corporations not
individuals.
The base tax and surcharge
would be increased annually by
the change in the consumer
price Index which has grown at
an average rate of 3.2% over
the last four decades.
The ordinance language provides
multiple ways for owners to be
exempted or temporarily
excluded from paying the tax.
However, we'd like to draw your
attention to the bottom right
hand box of four potential
scenarios where owners MAY exit
the taxpayer base which is
different than receiving an
exemption.
These include converting
the property to a short term or
long term rental the latter of
which is a stated policy goal.
The property is sold to a new
owner who does not use it as an
empty home.
The owner reclassifies
the property as something other
than an empty home or the owner
avoids paying the tax by other
means.
Both exemptions and exits would
require documented prove to be
provided to the City Treasurer
and there will be enforcement
mechanisms in place that I'll
discuss in a later slide.
The number of units exempted or
that exit the taxable base will
have a direct impact on
the potential revenue the city
MAY receive from the tax.
This dynamic was observed in
other cities with similar taxes
.
>> To help frame expectations,
our office compared San Diego's
proposal with vacancy taxes in
four cities Berkeley, Oakland,
Washington dc and Vancouver.
While the type of tax and
structure varied, I'd like to
direct your attention to
the two columns on the far
right.
These columns show the variance
between the preliminary
estimates those cities had for
their projected number of
taxable units and revenue and
the actual number of taxable
units there were in revenue
they received after the taxes
were implemented.
The pattern across all four
cities was that early estimates
of taxable units and revenue
were significantly higher than
what was actually realized.
The exceptions were Oakland
because staff there already
assume that 60 to 70% of
parcels were initially exempted
.
In Washington dc where
the vacancy tax was assessed as
an ad valorem property tax that
increased with the value of
the homes resulting in revenue
growth or vacancy taxes in a
relatively new tool for cities
to generate revenue and
disincentivize real estate
speculation.
There are a few key takeaways
I'd like to highlight from our
office's research.
First cities experience high
exemptions or drop off rates
and revenue tended to decrease
over time as more units were
occupied or exempted.
Cities reported data accuracy
challenge challenges including
inconsistencies in
self-reported data and the need
to for extensive data cleanup
prior to billing.
And lastly, vacancy taxes do
help reduce the number of empty
homes.
However, recent research shows
limited evidence that these
taxes alone improve housing
affordability because effects
on rents and new construction
tend to be minimal unless
paired with broader housing
policies.
These findings inform
the assumptions and estimates
in our fiscal impact analysis
After this item was heard and
Rules Committee last week our
office met with the Chief
Financial Officer and City
Auditor to refine and update
our fiscal impact model.
The significant changes include
new data from the City
Treasurer which indicates
the potential taxpayer base is
actually 5140 units a small
half percent increase from
the previous number reported.
We increased the number of
exempted units for our
conservative estimate in
the first year of
implementation to adjust for
outcomes seen in benchmark
jurisdictions.
We also assume a new 10%
decline in the taxable unit
base in year two as units
become rentals or become
permanently excluded from
the tax in different ways.
And lastly we incorporate a tax
collection rate of 90% into
the model to account for
the reality that not all
the bills will be paid While
appeals, audits and penalties
are processed.
This collection rate is
consistent with the current
collection rate of the city's
rental unit Business tax.
We believe these changes better
reflect a revenue forecast for
this new tax or shifts in owner
behavior or highly unknown.
>> Based on the City Treasury's
rental unit business tax data
or ebitda, we identified 5140
units that were self-reported
as vacation or second homes in
2025.
These are the properties most
likely to meet the ordinances
Definition of an empty home
which is a residential unit
that is not the owner's primary
residence and is a vacant 483
days or more in a calendar
year.
Of the 5140 units.
We believe that 5097 or 99% are
owned by individuals or
revokable trusts and the other
43 units are owned by
corporations.
We'd like to note that the rv
exemption data is a proxy for
the potential number of vacant
units but does not include all
units that MAY fit
the Ordinance's definition of
an empty home and MAY also
include units self-reported as
empty homes that no longer meet
the proposed taxes definition.
The latter is The latter is a
data accuracy challenge that
will need to be addressed by
the City Treasurer if the tax
is approved.
We estimate there to be a total
of 5140 units that MAY be empty
homes.
There are multiple ways for
the units to be excluded from
paying the tax that will reduce
the total number of taxable
units and therefore the actual
revenue of the new tax to model
potential number of units that
MAY be excluded from paying
the tax.
We looked at Barkley's
experience implementing a
similar vacancy tax.
As we previously noted in our
benchmarking table Berkeley saw
a 45.5% drop between
the initial estimated numbers
of units that would be subject
to the tax and the actual
number of units that were
built.
Some differences between
Berkley's tax and the San Diego
proposal that we believe
justify modeling a more
conservative range of excluded
units include.
Berkeley's data came from
the Rent Stabilization Board
which maintained data more
likely to accurately estimate
the number of vacant units and
San Diego's are beat data.
Also while Berkeley tax was
targeted towards homes already
on the rental market, intended
taxpayer in San Diego MAY be
more likely to have the ability
and incentive to change their
behavior to be excluded from
paying the tax.
And lastly the relative tax
amount in San Diego is larger
than the amount in Berkeley.
Taken together we believe it's
reasonable to project that of
the 5140 units the percentage
that MAY be excluded from
having to pay the taxable range
between optimistically 45% and
conservatively 70%.
This range is also in line with
other benchmark cities like
Oakland and Vancouver.
Based on our office's updated
model we estimate net general
fund revenue in year one which
is fiscal year 2028 to be
between $9.2 million and $21.4
million.
Then in year two revenue is
projected to increase to
between $10.4 million and $24.2
million.
The increased revenue in year
two is a result of a larger tax
amount beyond year two.
We would expect revenue to
decline over time as more units
convert to rentals, sell or
otherwise become occupied which
is one of the stated policy
goals of the proposed tax.
These revenue ranges reflect
different scenarios for
the proportion of units
excluded from paying the tax
and tax collection rate a 10%
plus and minus contingency for
uncertainty And the Treasurer's
preliminary estimated cost to
administer the program.
>> The City Treasurer indicated
that administering the tax
would require an additional
four employees and a one time
it system upgrade which
together would potentially cost
$1 million in the first year of
implementation.
A potential challenge will be
establishing a clear,
enforceable standard of proof
for occupancy.
This will likely require
the City Treasurer to implement
new processes and procedures to
validate self-reported
documents.
The relative magnitude of
the new proposed tax MAY
incentivize avoidance but
violations would result in a
misdemeanor and the Treasurer
would have the power to audit
owners or office would like to
clearly explain the assumptions
and limitations that underpin
our fiscal impact estimates.
We assume the tax will be
effective JANUARY 1st, 2027 and
that exemptions will be
processed and billing completed
in the third quarter of fiscal
year 2028.
Significant delays That
timeline would likely change
the estimate of revenue.
We assume the Treasurer's
operating costs will be
the only new cost to the city.
We also assume the tax
collection rate for the units
subject to the tax will be at
90%.
We assume 50% of the units
excluded from the empty homes
tax will pay the rental unit
business tax fee But since
the rebate tax is about $55 per
unit it will have minimal
fiscal impact.
And lastly, we assume that
the taxable pool of units will
decrease by 10% in the second
year and that corporate and
individual owned units will
have the same tax exclusion
rate.
>> The scope of our model's
projection is limited by timing
and data availability most
notably we are unable to
estimate the potential revenue
from property tax growth after
the sale of homes or from
the collection of penalties for
late payments.
The range of excluded units we
assume is an aggregate of all
exemptions and exits and we
cannot estimate the number of
empty homes not in the rv
exemption data.
And lastly our office's
analysis was conducted in a
relatively limited time frame
and therefore we were unable to
solicit significant stakeholder
feedback.
In closing, our office finds
that the proposed empty homes
tax would be likely to generate
additional net general fund
revenue and increase the number
of homes available for long
term rental or occupancy over
time.
At the same time revenue from
the tax will likely decline
over time.
If the measure is effective in
reducing vacancy which aligns
with the policy goals of
the tax, our office's updated
Fiscal impact estimate in
consultation with the cfo and
auditor projects the city
collecting $9.2 million to
$21.4 million in net revenue in
year one and $10.4 million to
$24.2 million in year two.
Then we note the fiscal and
housing impacts will depend
heavily on owner behavior.
Thank you very much and will be
available to answer questions
that you MAY have.
>> Okay.
Thank you very much for
the presentation.
We always appreciate the office
of the rba weighing in on these
important matters.
So with that City Clerk please
proceed with public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT We do have
over 50 speakers here today
plus those on line another 14
So they will be going down to a
minute per person.
If I can have the following
individual please come up to
the yellow reserved seats at
the front of the room and then
this first individual please
come up to the microphone.
Ken Miller After Ken Miller Can
I have George cheering Noah Yee
Patricia Serrano Mohammed Omar
Wesley Morgan.
Laurie Lipson Christopher
Kennison If you can all please
come up to the front row and be
prepared.
And if you can proceed when
ready you'll have one minute.
Thank you.
And with respect to the San
Francisco case, that case is
now before the court of appeals
and it will have ramifications
throughout the state of
California and in particular
here in San Diego.
That case was resolved in
the trial court by a motion for
summary judgment where
the court ruled that
the measure violated the taking
clause of the Fifth Amendment.
It was preempted by
California's Ellis Act.
It was unconscionable burden
upon due process equal
protection and private rights.
I think it'd be wise to wait
for the outcome of the Court of
Appeals decision instead of
rushing to litigation.
The United States Supreme Court
has held that the right to
exclude others for months
Property is a core
constitutional property right?
The government cannot compel an
owner to rent a unit over their
objection by opposing
financially coercive penalties
on owners who choose to keep
their property vacant if it is
effectively taken including
comment.
If you have any written
statements we can definitely
continue to pass those out to
the Council is where as well.
George Good afternoon Council
members Thank you for your
time.
My name is George Chen with
the Pacific Southwest
Association of Realtors here to
speak in opposition to
the proposed tax because
the messaging for for this tax
is targeting vacant properties
.
I don't think that the general
public is aware that this is
going to create a legal burden
for every homeowner to prove
that they live in their own
home every year even if they're
exempt they're going to have to
file paperwork in order to
prove that they're exempt And
that's creating an opportunity
for for errors and the need for
appeals.
The other thing is I'm
reviewing the language of
the actual ordinance.
I don't see the particular
section where properties that
are in the process of being
sold are vacant because they're
being sold are exempted from
this.
So if you're an owner looking
to sell your property there's
the potential that it could be
vacant for more than six months
because of a transaction And
then to consider making that
increase of 8000 potentially
into the price that they're
asking for that they choose to
rent it out that just creates
less opportunities for people
to buy a home.
Please vote no.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Noah.
>> Good afternoon, council
members.
My name is no I'm a researcher
and policy advocate and on
policy initiatives.
And we've known for years that
our city has a structural
budget deficit but every year
we're not identifying any new
revenue.
Instead the mayor tries to
balance the budget by cutting
the programs and services our
community members rely on.
Cuts to libraries, parks, rec
centers and public restrooms
have become the norm.
And this year is no different.
There's over $120 million
deficit and no new revenue has
been identified.
At the same time there are
thousands of San Diegans that
struggled to keep a roof over
their heads while homes across
our city sit empty owned by
people wealthy enough to leave
them vacant.
That is why we must support
the empty second homes tax It
is a revenue solution that
stops asking working class
people to pay the price Instead
ask the wealthiest to
contribute their fair share.
We urge you to support
the empty empty homes tax Take
a step away from austerity and
toward a city that invests in
people and prevents harm before
it happens.
>> Thank you.
Patricia Serrano Good
afternoon.
My name is Patricia Serrano and
I work with Partner.
I'm in support of their homes
for San Diegans working
families, immigrant refugees,
communities of color are
the ones who are struggling
because the housing cost is too
high In San Diego while
corporations and wealthy
investors purchases thousands
of property is leaving me
leaving many of them begging
These empty houses reduce
the supply and driving up
prices.
This is about prioritizing
homes for people who live in
work.
And here in San Diego this
proposal creates accountability
for the wealthiest.
Thank you.
Next is Muhammad.
Good afternoon.
Council members.
My name is Mohammed Omar.
I'm with the Partnership for
the Department of Americans and
also co facilitator for c d
Coalition for Equitable
Development.
I would like to thank council
member Shari Liberal for its
leadership in bringing forward
the homes for San Diego's
proposal.
San Diego continues to face a
serious housing housing
shortage when homes remain
vacant it reduces availability
supply and contributes to
rising costs.
This proposal provides a
solution by encouraging
properties to return to
the market or generate revenue
for affordable housing and
infrastructure.
This proposal creates
accountability to encourage
vacant homes to return to
the market or contributes to
building more affordable
housing Homes should be for San
Diego is not held empty as
investment assets urge support
for this measure.
Thank you.
Thank you Wesley.
>> Good afternoon Council
members.
I had to look at the data
before deciding whether or not
this policy would be meaningful
And it turns out it is in two
ways especially in our coastal
communities where it's
the hardest to build new
housing.
The city's own data shows that
Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach,
Mission Beach and Peninsula
have 1700 empty second homes
are over this entire arena
cycle Since 2021.
Those same communities are
permitted just 526 non-native
homes.
That's more than three empty
homes for every new home we
permitted in the last four
years And the higher the ratio
of 6 to 1 because of a beach 3
to 1 Mission beach 18 to 1 in
Ocean Beach and plan for 2 to
1.
And in these coastal areas 80%
of the owners are not local To
San Diego where new
construction faces the most
resistance.
We can't afford to let existing
homes vacant.
And turning to downtown alone
there are 792 empty second
homes.
The equivalent of three full
towers like Vina Noma or
Bayside That stand empty.
And 80% of those owners are
also not local to San Diego.
Thank you.
Including Mark Laurie.
>> Good afternoon.
My name is Laurie Swim.
She her resident of district
three since 1988 in support of
item 501.
It is a disgrace that a city
with such extreme wealth has an
and housing crisis and a severe
lack of low income housing and
where people are being housed
in tents.
Stop capitulating to money and
start working for your constitu
tions taxed wealth individuals
and corporations and invest in
housing, health care and
education for all.
There is no excuse for this
level of lack of basic needs
for so many in a city where
the wealth is abundant.
>> Thank you.
Thank you Christopher.
After Christopher If I can have
Zack Schlegel please come up
and public advocate Shane
Harris Karen Ede Bruce Karen
Christopher Gomes and Ethan
Chavis If you can all please
come forward as well as
Patricia Mondragon All please
come forward to the other
reserve seats Please proceed.
>> The fact that we're here
fighting for a better
opportunity to get housing yet
again is mind blowing
opportunities is all we're
asking for when it boils down
to it, people shouldn't have to
commute an hour or two just to
get to work and still live.
Check the check.
I'm one of those people.
I leave my home by 730 every
morning just to get to work by
9 A.M..
I'm not here to dismiss
the opposition stats or
feelings.
I'm here to speak for
the greater good of all
the people.
We have 5000 homes sitting
unoccupied.
The way I see it, there's 5000
opportunities for people to
give their families a better
quality of life.
That's 5000 opportunities for
people to have a roof over
their head.
That's 5000 opportunities for
kids to have access to a
quality education.
That's 5000 opportunities for a
kid to grow up in a healthy
home and strive for success.
I grew up in a two bedroom
apartment with seven plus
people for most of my life.
If we live in a true democracy
we have to end the hypocrisy of
elected officials and community
members knowing the issues that
need to be fixed.
>> Thank you Zach.
Good afternoon.
I'm here on behalf of staff to
support the proposed empty
homes tax.
I want to thank council member
Ella Rivera and the Rules
Committee for moving this item
forward.
At the end of the day what
the people we serve need
the most is affordable housing.
This proposed tax could create
that by opening up
underutilized housing stock and
by bringing in some much needed
additional revenue to build new
units.
While this proposal won't solve
homelessness on its own, every
single unit of housing stock
that would come online due to
this tax would meaningfully
impact our efforts to combat
this trend and make
homelessness more rare.
Brief and non.
We urge you to support this
proposal to create more homes
for San Diegans.
>> Thank you.
Public advocate Shane Harris
You have people sitting you
time they can please raise
their hand.
Frank took a ton of Frank Thank
you.
And then Ina Weitzman thank you
so much.
You'll have three minutes.
>> Please proceed.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT And members
of the City Council I'm San
Diego public advocate Shane
Harris.
I was born and raised here.
I lost both of my parents at a
young age and age out of
the San Diego foster care
system at 18 and went homeless.
When you leave foster care you
don't inherit property savings
or a safety net.
You're trying to build
stability from nothing building
something from nothing is
something I understand.
And some of the 5000 homeowners
second homeowners come from
that background to that
experience shaped how I view
housing and building yourself
up from the ground.
Housing is not just policy to
me.
It is a security.
It is dignity and foundation
for opportunity.
I support housing but I still
support smart, smart housing
build through collaboration
with neighborhoods, builders
and stakeholders.
But I cannot support this
proposal as written today.
My primary concern is simple If
this measure passes the revenue
does not go into a protected
housing fund.
It goes into the city's general
fund the same fund facing a
$121 million deficit and total
mistrust from the voters.
If this was truly about
housing, the dollars would be
locked into housing dedicated
to building units and
increasing affordability.
Instead the revenue becomes
general revenue and we've seen
where that goes.
That raises serious questions
for me.
This is about housing policy or
is this about plugging a budget
hole?
I'd say a budget hole before
asking homeowners second
homeowners to pay more.
We should take a serious look
internally the city has and not
fully examined the bloated
middle management layers or
whether consolidate adding
the city's media department
into the mayor's office where
it already is working anyway
Could save us somewhere between
1.5 million and $3 million
annually.
Those savings could go into
parks, roads, infrastructure
without imposing another tax.
We should exhaust internal
efficiencies before creating
external burdens and we should
stop framing second homes as if
they automatically mean wealthy
spectators.
I met families in District four
in District eight who bought
modest homes in the 1990s.
Today on paper those homes
appreciated.
That does not make them rich.
That makes them long term
homeowners.
I met families in District nine
who inherited a small house
from their parents.
It is not a luxury estate.
It's not a it's a legacy home.
The first generational
stability their family ever
had.
Does that make them villains?
Many second properties are
inherited homes and probate
modest condos purchased decades
ago or small properties owned
by retirees relying on rental
income.
These are not hedge funds.
These are families.
And this vacancy tax would be
layered on top of overwhelming
property taxes and one of
the most expensive housing
markets might I add property
taxes in the country.
If we're serious about solving
the House housing budget
crisis, this is not the route.
>> Please say no to this
erroneous tax measure.
Karen, if you can please come
forward.
Hello Karen Aid.
Tax revenue from this proposal
as noted that it MAY not shall
go to a general fund for
specific specifically related
to housing.
Therefore this is an arbitrary
tax to be used to fund anything
from the general fund.
It is a money grab tax.
Owners of second homes have no
obligation to subsidize other
San Diego for their housing.
They pay property taxes on
their properties like everyone
else.
The people that own these
properties successfully made
good financial decisions to
purchase and maintain these
properties for their own
enjoyment not for the benefit
of everyone else.
If people in San Diego cannot
afford the local rental market
or purchase market of a
property they should likely
relocate somewhere else that is
financially responsible for
them to live a good quality of
life and not expect to be
subsidized by others or expect
a handout by others.
This proposal is an arbitrary
and discriminatory tax on
select group of less than 1% of
the homeowners.
This proposal is in violation
of the California Constitution
which allows for the right to
thank you.
>> Thank you, Bruce.
No first Karen.
Next is Christopher.
>> Good afternoon, council
members.
My name is Christopher Gomes
and I'm an organizer with
the San Diego Organized Labor
Council.
I want to thank Councilmember
Yellow Rivera and his staff
along with city staff for their
hard work on this item.
You know, at the Labor Council
we represent over 130 unions
and 200,000 working families
across the county who don't
want to move out of the county.
Many of these folks are feeling
the impacts of the growing
economic uncertainty in
the country and the crushing
cost of housing in the city
which is only made worse by our
stock of homes that sit empty.
Well, there are San Diegans
living on the street with this
federal administration showing
zero interest in addressing
the needs of the working class.
It is incumbent on local
government to do everything in
their power to relieve some of
that pressure to be bold, to
put forth policy and to
compromise when necessary in
order to make the city more
livable for the working folks
who keep it running.
We urge our support in this
item.
Let's move to the ballot.
San Diego San Diego is going to
have a say on the matter.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Ethan.
>> Yes you do.
Once you walk up into your city
time by and that please raise
your hand.
And Aaron or diversity.
And before I thank thank you
You'll have three minutes
please.
No you have four minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Council.
My name is Natalia Civic
engagement director with
Alliance and Diego and resident
of Golden Hill in Council
District.
I called San Diego my home for
over 26 years.
And my experience in the city
has always been that of a
renter.
I arrived here in 1999 and at
that time my family of five
shared a small room and a three
bedroom apartment that housed
at least five per room and a
few others in the living room.
My childhood memories are
filled with a full house in
the heart for smiles of working
people.
After a few years of working
two jobs, my mom and Helen
saved enough to get us into our
own apartment just the five of
us.
That was probably about 25 And
I remember the rent bill was
about $1,200 for a spacious
three bedroom apartment that
allowed my siblings and I
the personal space that we
always wanted.
>> Things were good for a
while.
However, as time went on my mom
didn't want wages, didn't keep
up with the rising rent cost
and the cost of living.
And we were fortunate to stay
with family to keep up with
the rising rents.
But between the ages of 16 to
19 since we could only afford a
two bedroom apartment at $1,600
I slept on the living room
couch.
>> Fast forward 12 years and my
husband and I pay $2,250
monthly for a one bedroom and
we have no option but to stay
in our 500 square foot unit
until we can afford to buy
which we know is not anytime
soon.
And that directly impacts our
ability to grow our family.
We are both first generation
graduates of San Diego State
University actually the first
in our families to cross many
milestones And yet
the possibility the possibility
of buying a home in a city that
raised does educated us and
shaped our commitment to
community feels more and more
out of our reach.
And unfortunately our story is
not unique.
It echoes across neighborhoods
with young families doubling up
in tiny apartments with our
elders watching their children
move away to more affordable
cities and with essential
workers commuting long hours
because they cannot afford to
live where they serve.
While thousands struggle to
find stable housing, homeless
homes here sit vacant, they are
treated as mere investment
vehicles rather than places for
people to live.
Today in history today is
history in the making and I am
grateful for the opportunity to
push San Diego into a better
direction one that just makes
sense.
Today's vote will have a direct
impact on my life And in
the more than 5100 homes left
vacant in the city were put up
for sale.
My husband and I might actually
have a shot at making San Diego
forever home three times
the chances we have now.
And if these homes are put back
on the market for rent then you
can have more homes to choose
from that make better sense for
their commute, their careers
and their communities.
Both of these options help San
Diego significantly increase
the housing supply and drive
the costs down.
This is a win win in Alliance
and Diego.
We are a human rights
organization building community
power to bring human rights
home.
We stand a strong support of
the empty homes tax because we
are invested in real solutions
And we we stand strong today
with community based and fair
housing organizations, labor
unions and everyday San Diego
and that are just looking for a
chance to keep calling San
Diego our home.
We urge that we urge you all to
vote yes and move forward.
The empty homes are so that
voters can have a say and make
that final decision.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you, Patricia.
Another one.
Thank you.
Have time to go to my audience.
Thank you so much.
You have two minutes.
Please proceed.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Day three Resident I'm here in
support of attacks on second
beget homes owned by wealthy
investors and corporations.
San Diego and North Park have
been my home since 1969.
Like many longtime residents,
I'm still struggling to afford
a home to stay in the city I
love and retire here.
I don't want to work for
the rest of my life just to
rent and build wealth for
someone who MAY already be a
billionaire.
The cost of moving rising rent
and wages that haven't kept up
with the cost of living make
that unsustainable.
I wasn't able to buy earlier
because of student loan debt.
But year after year I watched
prices rise beyond what working
for and against could afford.
Even when families qualified
they were often outbid.
Working in real estate, I
routinely saw speculators beat
out local families with all
cash offers.
When our neighbor passed away,
an investor bought the house
next to my parents in North
Park.
They left it vacant for over
five years while its value more
than doubled.
It went from 464,000 to 940,000
940,000.
That's a 103% increase on a two
bedroom one bath cottage.
No housing was created.
No family was helped.
Profit was the only gold.
Corporations and wealthy
investors have purchased
thousands of homes in our city
and left many empty.
These vacant homes titans
supply and drive up prices and
erode the community.
How we should not be for people
who live at home should be for
people who live and work here
Not for corporations to
warehouse wealth.
As you have already today you
will hear fearmongering and
disinformation from those who
profit from keeping housing out
of reach for working San Diego.
Please vote yes and let
the voters decide.
Thank you.
Hazardous materials.
Those materials.
Yeah.
If I can ask the following
people to please come to
the front row Jesse Schmidt.
Anna Ramos.
Gene Kelly.
Florence, Steve Russell, Karen
Barton and Robert.
Come on it If you can all
please come forward and you'll
have one minute.
>> Please proceed.
Good afternoon.
My name is Martin Munoz.
I am a community organizing
coordinator with the Chicano
Federation, a member of
the Community Budget Alliance
and a resident of District
eight.
For the past three years we
have been faced with a budget
deficit which has
disproportionately affected San
Diego's most marginalized and
disenfranchized communities.
But this proposal could allow
us to bring in a substantial
amount of revenue to continue
funding the services that our
communities rely on.
Furthermore, this proposal will
allow individuals like myself
to remain in San Diego.
To the contrary and we will
continue to continue down
the path of becoming a city
which does not cater to
the working class like myself.
On behalf of the Chicano
Federation we urge you to vote
in favor of this item to uphold
our community's democratic
values and to empower our
residents to exercise their
right to vote for their values
.
Thank you Jesse.
>> Good afternoon.
Council Jesse Schmidt, District
eight resident here today in
full support of the second home
stacks.
Growing up in San Diego, my
family had anything but a
stable housing situation.
My mother often worked two and
sometimes three jobs just to
make sure that she had
the means to provide for my
sister and I from growing up
and living inside a friend's
houses to sleeping in freezing
cold garages and on
the couches.
These challenges resonate
deeply with the community
behind me here today.
Last week we heard a public
comment to say Stop being poor.
Let me ask you a question Do
you tell that to the hands of
farmworkers that put food on
your table?
Do you say that to the military
families struggling to make it
here in San Diego willing their
life down for your greed?
Or the teachers barely making
it by just to make sure that
your child has a bright future
because that is who we are.
Let me be abundantly clear
Poverty is not a moral failure
.
It is a policy failure.
If we're going to turn slogans
around, here's three that
actually work.
Tax the rich invest in San
Diego and build more housing.
>> Thank you Council member Eli
Rivera for your work on this.
Thank you, Anna Ramos.
>> Good afternoon council
members.
My name is and Ramos, a
community organizer with
the Alliance of Californians
for Community Empowerment.
And although I don't live in
the city of San Diego, I've
been organizing in District
eight for some months now And
in doing so have helped
the community form the first
ever East chapter in San Isidro
with the goal of coming
together as a group of
neighbors who care deeply about
improving their community and
improving the quality of life
of everyone there.
They have been meeting for
months talking about the issues
their community faces and at
the top of the list is of
course housing affordability.
We have members who have shared
their struggles having to live
with six people in a one
bedroom apartment because that
is the only thing that they can
ever afford.
There are folks living in
mobile home parks who dream of
one day being able to afford a
home but that has become almost
impossible.
So on their behalf we strongly
support this empty home tax.
San Diegans really need this
housing crisis to be addressed
as soon as possible.
Thank you for that Concluding
remark.
>> It's only the second row for
people to find out It's
important for the people you
lay in the back.
That's cool.
There's nobody behind you But
it's important that
the audience can actually see
the speaker or actually see
the reaction of the council
members.
So thank you very much.
No worries.
Thank you.
If you can please come up.
>> Hello, my name is d.
I'm a resident of District nine
and I'm here in favor of
the empty home tax.
Again, I'd like to personally
thank you Better for
prioritizing people over
property.
It's imperative that we keep
the San Diego for the families
that have built it and we
should forget that black and
brown owners were barred from
owning homes in the La Hoya and
expensive districts just until
recently.
These people that own multiple
homes were benefiting from
systematic racism and white
privilege.
Yet the families that have been
here for generations shaping
the culture and character of
the city by focusing on their
neighbors were reinvesting in
the stability of their
communities which will yield in
a stronger district and a more
sustained local economy.
Keeping vacant homes does
the opposite.
It contributes to nothing.
It doesn't support the local
tax base.
It doesn't fill the seats in
the schools and it certainly
doesn't contribute to
community.
It's a depletion of the city's
vitality and we hope to see you
pass this and thank you again
Shanita rivera Thank you,
Kaylee.
>> Hello council members.
My name is Keeley Hawes and I'm
here today as a member of
the Alliance of Californians
for Community Empowerment to
show my support to put
the empty home tax on
the ballot.
Although I am not a resident of
San Diego, I do work three jobs
in the city and yet I cannot
afford to live in the city of
San Diego where I spend most of
my time, most of my commute and
all of my money.
I move to San Diego because I
was originally pushed out of my
hometown and community because
of housing affordability and I
could no longer afford to live
there and I fear that that is
the direction Sanyo was headed
in If we do not make a change
with this empty home tax to be
put on the ballot we will be
taking a step in the right
direction to a more affordable
city so that the people who
work in this beautiful city MAY
continue to live and grow in a
place where we are proud to
call home.
And I've dreamed of living in
the city.
Don't make me change that
dream.
Thank you.
Steve Russell.
Steve Russell You have time to
give to you by Juliet Ornelas.
Thank you.
You'll have two minutes please.
Thank you.
Well, good afternoon.
Honorable Council PRESIDENT
Council members I'm Steven
Russell, PRESIDENT And ceo of
the San Diego Housing
Federation and the Federation.
We believe that everyone has
the right to have
the opportunity for safe and
affordable home safe and
affordable place to live
because all other social goods
come from having a stable home
environment.
We do know how housing crises
develop.
It's there's a very good
scholarship on this.
There's a simple formula
basically create a lot of high
wage jobs and then don't build
the housing to house those
workers.
What will happen with
resources?
We'll find homes most typically
homes that were previously
rented or owned by poor folks
And that is a downward ladder
that reaches down to where we
have families who are being
forced out onto the streets.
They're doubling up, tripling
up or leaving the region.
So this dynamic is well
established in the supply and
demand patterns and constraints
in constrained housing markets
to be clear, there are multiple
strategies that are needed to
address the housing crisis.
One is expanding overall
housing production to help
increase availability and
alleviate price pressure and
the other is to increase
the availability of affordable
housing housing affordable to
the lowest income individuals
in our community and ensuring a
strategy to ensure that
existing homes are actively
used rather than sitting
unused.
This measure today which we
urge you to support focuses on
improving availability of a
portion of the existing housing
stock in a market where supply
is already limited and it also
creates the opportunity to have
new resources with which we can
develop new affordable homes.
The majority of properties are
such as primary residences
simply won't be affected.
And it's important to remember
though that a house is not a
home if no one's living there.
So we urge you to support
the action before it today and
give the voters the opportunity
to vote on this issue.
Thank you for your time and
attention today, Karen.
All right.
Hello council members.
I'm Karen Barton and I live in
District two.
I'm representing my neighbor
today who's at work.
She owns two homes on the same
neighborhood.
She's got three kids at home
and her husband travels a lot.
They work hard and have little
time for themselves.
Her parents come into town
twice monthly to care for
the little ones.
They trade off with other
grandparents.
One week on, one week off she
uses that second home 120 days
per year.
Is this a family you deem too
rich or in need of double
taxation?
I don't think so.
They have come up with a
creative solution to use family
to provide care instead of
socking away savings for their
own retirement or college.
They're investing in their
family.
They want a second home, a
modest condo providing a place
to live for their parents to
help raise children.
Please vote no on this
initiative.
Thanks for your time.
>> Robert.
>> Yes.
I'm Bob Kevin.
As PRESIDENT Of the Senate
Association Realtors
representing 10,000 members.
Look, I would appreciate if I
could have three minutes.
>> I'm really sorry We have to
treat everybody exactly
the same.
Okay, fine.
Thank you.
We have submitted a formal
letter to you setting forth
some of the reasons why we're
against the proposed empty home
tax measure bill before us
today.
And I hope you come up with
the right conclusion.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
If I could have the following
individuals please come up to
the other reserved seats and up
to the microphone Daryl Cotton,
Nicole Lilly and Rohana
Hariharan.
R White Barry As a last name
Brenda Lindstrom, Shane
Pendergrass and Brian Broad and
Mary Burke.
If you can all please come up
to the first room.
Please proceed already.
Good afternoon Counsel.
My name is Darryl Cotton and I
am a 45 year resident of
the city of San Diego And I am
here because what I've got to
tell this council is I don't
think we really have a budget
problem as much as we have a
collection problem.
And although we should
incentivize people getting into
homes, I believe there are
other ways to do it If we can
take care of the budget.
The deep hole that we've dug
here in this city and what I've
come to find is that there are
millions of dollars in cannabis
tax revenues in the cannabis
business tax that aren't being
paid And I have evidence of
that of two public records that
try to get that information
from the city.
They won't give it to me.
So I finally file a petition of
mandamus to get the city to
give me that record and they
won't.
The city attorney tells me they
won't give it to them either.
So I have a document here and
put it on the council that's
willing to see it should
because if we can pick up just
budget shortfalls we don't have
to tax parking and we don't
have to pick up the housing
crisis by burdening owners.
>> That shouldn't affect them.
Thank you for the concluding
sentence Nicole.
You have time to get it to you
by sparking me To think that
Sparky was she wasn't sure
somebody was clapping or
raising your hand.
Okay?
You were raising your hand.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Okay, so you have two minutes.
Thank you.
Hello.
My name is Nicole Lilly.
>> I'm a 23 year old renter
resident of District three and
executive director of our Time
to Act where at youth led
nonprofit organizing Powerful
Youth for Housing justice.
I'm here today again to urge
you to vote for housing justice
Every day San Diego boys are
struggling to survive in
the city a majority of you
against our renters and
the majority of renters are
paying more than 30% of their
income on housing alone.
This is an unaccepted and
avoidable reality.
This is the result of treating
housing as an investment and
profit gouging tools rather
than the human right.
But it is as more of our
neighbors are thrown into house
lessness and housing insecurity
every day as we continue to
fall woefully short on our
housing development goals as we
face devastating cuts to
essential services due to
growing budget shortages.
It is inexplicable to me why we
should allow over 5000 homes to
sit entirely empty without
consequence.
I want to live in a city that
prioritizes its people not
property and profit whether it
creates revenue or puts these
homes back into the hands of
San Diegans.
Your vote on this item tells us
how you see housing.
Do you believe housing is a
tool for profit or a human
right for your constituents?
I urge this council to pass
this item and bring this
decision to the people.
And finally, I'd like to speak
to my fellow neighbors which
you all are as well owners of
second homes who allow them to
sit empty while the rest of us
struggle to survive in the city
are not victims.
The people who are struggling
every day to pay your rent and
to work and support the needs
of the city need you to support
them.
We are human beings.
Renters are human beings and
this is not them being
victimized.
This is not them subsidizing
their fellow neighbor.
This isn't paying their fair
share.
This is only a first step and
this deserves to go to
the people.
>> I appreciate your time
today.
Thank you.
Thank you everyone.
Oh, my name is Dan and I look
at our contract alongside being
a student at ucsd.
I come here on behalf of all my
friends and many students all
of whom have who have not had
an easy journey with finding
off campus housing and who wish
they could be here but have to
prioritize their classes
instead.
This policy will affect over
5000 homes homes that would
students of that house families
Even by conservative numbers
This could lead to housing
thousands of families and
students and if not the city
can use the revenue from
the tax to help fund our most
basic needs and improve San
Diegans lives.
Youth are struggling with
housing.
We need you to help us.
This is a step in the right
direction and you can show us
that you care about us by
taking this step Those who own
multiple homes while the rest
of us struggle to survive are
not victims for being asked to
pay their fair share.
I hope everyone understands
the urgency of this.
Thank you.
Thank you very or very Hello
Council.
My name is Kristen Berry.
I'm here with you as well to
speak in support of the empty
home tax going to the ballot.
As someone who has spent many
nights searching for a roof
over my head at many points in
my life, housing should be a
fundamental right for all and
not an opportunity for profit
That does not seem to be
the case currently in the city
of San Diego though as we see
the hoarding of empty
properties by the very wealthy
leaving both city and revenue
leaving both city revenue and
unhoused individuals by
the wayside, we must rectify
this greed that is costing San
Diego stability, dignity and
the right to a home.
The home taxes a crucial step
towards housing justice in San
Diego.
It is a great method for us to
generate necessary revenue to
address our budget deficit
without burdening us
the people.
The less about the deficit
the city finds itself into less
of a burden.
There is on programs and
services that youth and
families of San Diego happily
rely on.
It is important that this
decision will ultimately be
made by the people of San
Diego.
You are allowing the process of
democratic decision rather than
impeding it.
>> Please vote yes today to
move the home tax ballot to
the ballot.
Thank you Britta where do you
have people sitting your time
if they can please raise their
hand joyfully and thank you.
And Elizabeth Kelly, thank you
so much.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Great.
Hello council members.
I am in opposition to fiber one
I would like to focus on
the legal and operational
realities of implementing a
vacancy based tax.
First of all, how do you
identify the vacancy?
Is it utility usage thresholds
self-reporting, physical
inspection which presents legal
and privacy implications?
Second enforce ment in due
process.
Property owners must have clear
notice standards, appeal rights
and transparent evidentiary
requirements.
Ambiguous definitions increase
rate disputes and legal
exposures.
Third administrative costs.
These systems typically require
compliance tracking databases,
verifications staff audit
procedures, appeals processing
and legal defense capacity.
Also what is the actual
projected net revenue After all
these full implementation
costs?
I believe it's much lower than
projected.
Third excuse me for legal
exposure.
Targeting tax structures can
invite litigation on
constitutional, statutory or
procedural grounds.
Has the city fully assessed
the litigation risk and a long
term administrative burden?
Finally, scalability Once
created compliance systems tend
to expand over time.
This can grow into significant
regulatory structure and
financial nightmares.
So before even voting on
something like this there must
be the evidence of enforcement
methodology, privacy
safeguards, appeals framework,
administrative cost estimates
and net revenue projections and
measurable affordability
benchmarks.
Do not develop and implement
these processes after it's on
the ballot.
That without these processes in
place our money will once again
be spent without accountability
and without reaching your
stated objectives.
Please do not create more
chaos.
Do the right thing.
Do not advance this further.
Your constituents are watching
how you are voting but I would
like to just make an additional
comment and that is I
completely empathize with
the people here who are saying
they cannot afford housing.
Their work their hard workers
are smart, They're dedicated.
They cannot afford It makes no
sense to me that now being
built there are to use their
450ft and they're going to be
gone for 1714 to $1700 a month.
Nobody can afford that.
This is not going to solve that
problem.
This is not the answer and it's
not going to.
It's going to fail in
the courts.
So please let's find an
accurate solution.
Let's stop this.
There's no way I can afford any
of this housing if I Thank you
for that concluding comment.
Shane Pendergrass and the woman
Shane in the audience.
Thank you for the opportunity
to speak to you today.
My husband and I bought our
condo here 13 years ago.
We have children and
grandchildren here.
We live in Maryland where I'm a
retired state legislator and
that's where we spend
the majority of our year.
We're here about 170 days a
year.
I get to be a part of my
grandchildren's lives here and
my grandchild's life back in
Maryland.
i'm very grateful for that.
We worked hard.
We both were government
employees.
We did not earn enormous
amounts of money and we spent a
lot of hours trying to do
the right thing just as you do.
I appreciate any consideration
you can give to people like me
who want to contribute to our
grandchildren and our
children's happiness and
growth.
Thank you Brian.
>> I am from District five and
I've made several changes to my
comments based on the opening
comments that were made.
The San Francisco case is
relevant to this measure
The same constitutional issues
apply and the Ellis Act
applies.
The Berkeley Property Owners
Association filed an amicus
brief opposing the San
Francisco measure.
They are watching the Court of
Appeal decision very closely
and the Court of Appeal agrees
with the Superior Court ruling.
They will undoubtedly sue
the city of Berkeley to
overturn the measure and they
are most likely be successful.
That being the case, don't move
forward on this measure until
litigation is settled.
Otherwise if it's found to be
illegal you'll have to refund
taxes collected.
Exhibit a The Trump Tariffs.
Remember that?
I love San Diego and I hate to
see it making mistake after
mistake one on one street to
trash and double park parking.
Today we have an opportunity to
prevent another mistake.
This measure is flawed and
legally dubious.
You can't vote away people's
constitutional rights with a
ballot.
Thank you for that concluding
remark.
>> Mary.
This measure is based on
the assumption that properties
that don't have a county
homeowner's exemption and are
not rented are empty.
However, some owners no longer
rent out a second home because
they maintain and use their
home to help not only immediate
family but also an aunt and
uncle and eastern half of your
cousin and even close friends
And they maintain and use a
second home themselves.
Examples include during times
of illness surgery,
rehabilitation through job
losses and other calamities
such as after the fires.
The amount of taxes and
substantial gated and arbitrary
and has been set to motivate
the rental or indeed sale of
properties.
The tax amount is unaffordable
and for some owners to have to
rent against their will or
force to sell their properties
against their will.
There hasn't been a study of
who this tax would affect.
The people we know who own a
second home are mostly between
the ages of 65 and 80.
Throwing seniors under the bus
when their properties have
already started changing hands
and will continue to change
hands Anyway.
Thank you for that Very cool
and unlawful Thank you for that
concluding comic.
Christina Christina Marie Green
if you can please come forward
after that will be Ted Womack.
Liliana Soriano, Claire Snyder.
Mike Frittelli.
And then Jason Lopez.
If you can all please come
forward.
Please begin already.
Good afternoon City Council.
My name is Christina Marie
Green, a renter in District
eight advocate for the aclu of
Santiago Imperial County and
the program director of
the Poverty Project at ucsd
advocating for housing insecure
and how students I am in favor
of the housing that empty house
homes tax towards owners of
second, third and more homes.
As a former student who
navigated being unhoused couch
hopping in a housing market
designed to price students out
and to price our workers and
families out, the city of San
Diego was losing the bright
minds and leaders met to stay
and contribute to this amazing
city during a time where
federal funding is being cut
from vital programs and
the greed of homeowners who
continue to escape paying their
fair share.
It's time to redistribute
housing availability and punish
those who continue to make
the housing market unbearable,
inaccessible and monopolized.
Thank you so much for your
time.
>> And vote in favor of
the empty homes tax.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Ted.
Woman.
>> Hey, how are you doing
today?
i'm I'm here in support of
the empty homes tax.
I grew up in 84 where my
grandfather was a homeowner
before he passed away.
He taught me the strategy and
the steps about, you know,
growing up and getting into
those things of owning a home.
Unfortunately today like those
steps and that strategy is not
possible because of
affordability, affordability
and availability.
And you know, there's a lot of
things that are said by folks
who do own different homes.
But my question to all those
folks is why don't we deserve a
chance to buy a home ourselves?
There's a lot of different
factors in why people can't buy
homes ready talked about cost
of living where you talk about
how much you get paid versus
how much that is.
But you know, we hear a lot of
people say that we need to do
things for retirees.
We need to do things for
the revenue.
We need to do things for all
these other people.
But what about real San Diego?
You know, I want to have an
opportunity to invite my family
over from out of town to my
home.
I want to have an opportunity
to maybe even games I can hold
myself But at the moment that's
not possible.
So can we have the opportunity
to gain one home for ourselves
before we start saying this?
You know, thank you but I
completely comment Lily on it.
Good afternoon council members.
I am the Director of policy at
Youth.
Well that item before you is an
important step to address
the budget deficit.
Young people for the past few
budget cycles have not been a
priority in many of your memos.
Many of our youth members
continue to express their own
and their families inability to
keep a roof over their heads.
Meanwhile, around 5140 homes
are empty.
Cost of living continues to
rise and services meant to be
safety net before their eyes
disappear as a community based
organization.
We strongly support this fair
approach to reduce anticipated
impacts to real public safety
programs and services utilized
by many youth.
Please vote yes and let
the voters decide to move or
not move this tax forward
because many of the residents
will not be impacted by this
and the people in this room do
not represent the entire U.S.
Especially those that are
against this proposal.
Thank you.
Thank you, Claire Snyder.
Good afternoon, counsel.
My name is Claire.
I am with youth.
Well, I'm a resident of
District three and I'm also a
renter.
I just want to make it very
clear that if you can afford to
home afford a home that can sit
and you are much more well-off
than anybody in San Diego, I'm
a renter but paying rent is
fine.
Kind of but like I can afford
it and I feel comfortable with
that But that so me being
comfortable that means that
other people who can afford all
these homes are much more
well-off and other people in
San Diego deserve
the opportunity and the chance
to be able to own a home and
not have it be a dream that
maybe they can afford a home
when they're near dead at 85.
It should be a reality for us
now and I think that we should
give this opportunity to
the rest of San Diego to be
able to vote on this matter in
San Diego to make the decision.
So I urge you to move this
forward.
>> Thank you, Mike.
>> Good afternoon.
Mike Patel District six.
I'm speaking in opposition
because there's three major
problems with this proposed tax
.
One it MAY not help the city
financially in the absence of
budget budgetary reform there's
no guarantee the additional
revenue is to the extent that
there is additional revenue
would go to public safety or
critical infrastructure
maintenance.
Two it probably won't make that
much of a difference makes me a
target more affordable.
There are 1.5 million people in
this city Focusing on 5000
units is little more than a
distraction.
Three And most importantly it
will create what has been
referred to as an audit
industrial complex.
The idea has noted and I quote
the magnitude of the proposed
tax will incentivize tax
avoidance given that the city
will use and I quote
flexibility to adapt to
identify such avoidance is not
reassuring.
As a consequence, all
homeowners be burdened by
the possibility of an extensive
and unaccountable monitoring
and enforcement regime.
Proving that you own your own
house should not be more
complicated than getting
parking at the ballpark.
Thank you very much for that
concluding comment.
Jason Lopez.
After that it will be Paul
Kruger and Thurman Estrada
Kevin Ben.
Conor Robbins.
Grace Jimenez.
Please proceed.
Good afternoon, counsel.
I'm just Lopez and I'm here to
speak in opposition of the tax
measure.
I have the privilege of serving
as the 2020 PRESIDENT Of
the Pacific Southwest
Association of Realtors here in
San Diego and I currently
serves on the board of
directors and executive
committee with the California
Association of Realtors.
Our members represent tens of
thousands of homeowners in San
Diego who also oppose moving
this forward.
I've often said that
the association's exists for a
couple of reasons.
Among those are to protect
private property rights and to
promote homeownership
opportunities.
This measure would impact those
negatively by putting
the burden on homeowners to
document their occupancy when
they MAY not have need to.
So we speak in opposition to
this and would ask that you
work in partnership with
the associations and other
local housing advocacy groups
to come up with real solutions
for San Diego.
Thank you.
Paul Krueger.
>> I know you have something to
share so we'll get that up.
>> What I'm going to show you
is just two paragraphs from
the Union-Tribune editorial.
It's not the voters who are
going to decide this issue.
It's the courts And the San
Francisco vacancy tax was
struck down in the most
forceful way possible which is
that the court said there's not
even enough argument to take it
to trial.
Berkeley has not gotten an
exemption from court review.
There is no indication that
the Berkeley vacancy tax will
ever be held to be legal
because the landlords there are
simply holding off their filing
.
The gentleman noted an amicus
brief.
If you think that this Supreme
Court of California and more
the Supreme Court of the United
States is going to back a
vacancy tax, you know they're
not.
Please don't rush into this.
And more importantly, please
listen to the aba.
Those figures conflict greatly
with what you're hearing.
>> Thank you for that complete
comment.
I'm sorry my brother.
Good afternoon, counsel.
My name is Anselmo Jake Estrada
Estrada.
i am the clinical director for
the San Diego Construction
Trades Council.
You know, working people work
hard.
It's literally in the name
every day by every definable
measure, every metric that we
can we can speak to.
They've been what we've been
left behind at every step,
every single benchmark like key
point health care housing.
Today like every day working in
San Diegans or waking up and
wondering how they're going to
afford to buy a home, whether
wondering whether they can
afford to expand their family
have a kid and right now they
can't.
So this is actually the only
revenue measure that we might
be able to have before working
in San Diego And and the only
one of the only opportunities
that we have to actually put
housing out there on
the market.
I'm asking you to please move
this forward.
Please give us a chance to
actually have the housing that
we've all been talking about
for decades.
>> Thank you, Kevin.
Good evening.
Council My name is Kevin Vino.
I'm the housing justice
director at our Times Act where
a youth based nonprofit
fighting for housing justice
here in San Diego.
So the average home price right
now in San Diego is around $1
million.
So if people have the luxury to
have two of these they're not
just a millionaire but by
definition a multimillionaire
On average when the average San
Diego can't even afford one of
these homes.
So I really appreciate Sean's
office for bringing this as a
tax because we are sick and
tired of having taxes that
target lower income and middle
class San Diego And this is
primarily going to be affecting
people who can afford this tax.
So I strongly advocate urged
council to bring this to
the ballot and so that we as
San Diegans can vote on this.
Thank you.
Thank you, Conor Robbins.
>> Good afternoon.
City Council.
I'm Conor Robbins, the chief
steward for Teamsters Local 96
representing San Diego
Lifeguards.
We're in strong support of
the anti home tax and I
appreciate Councilmember De La
Rivera for bringing this item
forward.
I hear from my members all
the time about how hard it is
to live in San Diego and this
is largely because of the cost
of housing.
This tax supports our members
ability to build a stable
future here in San Diego.
That's why we support this.
Thank you all for considering
and we hope you'll vote in
favor.
>> Thank you Grace Rock a few
minutes after that if I can
have Patrick for your heart You
My apologies Jonathan Rain
Carmen Penaloza, Valdez and
Ramsey's If you can please come
forward.
These are our last speakers
here in council chambers before
we go virtual please proceed.
My name is Grace Minutes and I
was born and raised in San
Diego.
Kumi I territory.
I'm a member of a's Alliance of
Californians for Community
Empowerment and Infant for cpi
Students for Economic Justice
and a Renter for District four.
I'm here to support the empty
home tax ballot measure Bake at
Home should not be left to sit
and stale for months when so
many of our communities are in
danger of becoming houseless or
already are houseless If these
homes were to open up and be
made more affordable to renters
it will help with safety to our
San Diego residents and prevent
displacement to families.
The taxation of empty homes
will ensure much needed
investment on infrastructure
and services for the people of
San Diego.
I also do not give consent of
my tax dollars to be used for
Israel's genocide on Palestine
nor the terrorist group ice who
are attacking our people.
>> Invest in affordable housing
for everyone not unjust wars.
>> Patrick for Crane Friedman
is sitting in a time You'll
have two minutes.
>> Please proceed.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
distinguished members of
council members of public here
today to talk My name is
Patrick Ferrier Straight day
Director of San Diego City
Firefighters Local 145 I'm here
today to speak in favor look at
145 I was disappointed
the initial version didn't make
it.
The Rules Committee However we
are in strong support of
the initiative as it stands
before the full council today.
I thank you Council member
Yellow River for your hard work
and your dedication to bring
affordable housing to
the firefighters and
the citizens of the San Diego
City.
>> They all deserve a good
place to live.
I want to talk a little bit
about our firefighters though.
We have some of the bravest,
the finest and most selfless
people you're ever going to
meet.
They took an oath to lay their
lives down for any one of us in
this building here today.
But they're exasperated.
The inability to afford a home
within the city limits has left
them grasping at straws and
frustrated and they bring their
concerns to us.
Now they're commuting from out
of state, out of county,
sometimes out of the country
and it leaves them exhausted.
I want to put you into a
situation here.
Imagine you're up all night in
our fine city.
You're going to fires.
You're taking care of our most
vulnerable populations and
you're giving the best service
that you can.
Then you drive 2 to 4 hours to
your house.
Imagine trying to be a good
parent, a good spouse or just
enjoy your time off.
Now whether this initiative
brings revenue frees up homes
are both.
It's a win to the firefighters
and the citizens of this great
city.
i urge you to please move this
forward to the voters to decide
and I thank you very much for
your time today Jonathan Right
.
Hi and thank you for doing this
.
I just turned 62 on FEBRUARY
26th.
I currently live in an
affordable housing building for
age 55 plus which actually I
converted to a hotel with no
kitchen run by the San Diego
Housing Commission.
I cannot legit I cannot find
legit housing living on Social
Security at three $1,350 per
month I have resigned.
I have resigned to never owning
my own home condo or otherwise
in a city that I have resided
in since 1988.
I would like to at least be
able to rent a decent apartment
in a safe neighborhood.
I find this proposal very
acceptable.
We need to weed out corporate
and rich people and once again
make housing affordable In San
Diego some say live within your
own means What is living with
your own means?
Social Security does not allow
Thank you for that.
Thank you for doing Carmen So
short for Hello My name is
Carmen and I'm a resident and
living in District nine.
I'm here with you as well to
comment on the empty home tax
proposed to go to this year's
ballot.
Housing is a fundamental human
right for all and not a profit
opportunity for a select few.
While thousands of San Diegans
struggle to keep a roof over
their heads including myself
and other family members living
on the street or on the verge
of homelessness.
Currently ownership of multiple
properties is a reality for
wealthy people and
corporations.
It is this greed that caused
San Diego instability, dignity
and their right to a home.
The measure is clear this will
not impact primary home owners
or renters and only applies to
homes sitting vacant for most
of a year.
If you're in San Diego and you
can own this many homes, you
can take this tax like this has
been affecting us in low income
marginalized communities for
years.
So yeah, please vote yes today
to move the empty home tax
proposal to a ballot.
>> Thank you.
>> And our final speaker here
in council chambers is Ramsey's
.
>> Hello.
I want to speak in favor of
this item.
So over the last year of
the budget the budget
discussion, one thing has
become absolutely clear
The poor people of San Diego
can no longer afford to fill
this budget deficit.
We saw that with the failure of
Balboa Park making a net of
less than what, 3 million less
than that.
And now we have an option that
could potentially get us tens
of millions of dollars.
So on that on that level alone
it's a no brainer.
Now personally I've wanted to
live in San Diego my whole
life.
i was born in San Diego.
My parents relocated to East
County and we had a house and
shortly after 2008 private
equity purchased that house and
we lost it.
This year I tried moving into
San Diego and unfortunately I
was I was met with the prices
and I was not able to So now I
live exactly half a mile away
from the border.
But everything in San Diego
still affects me.
Everything that you guys do
still affects me.
So that's why I come to these
these things One day I hope
that I can afford to live in
San Diego but right now that's
not today.
I'm saying the five minute time
we're going to those
participating remotely.
We have 14 speakers in
the queue starting with Mary
Carson.
If you can please unmute.
>> Hello.
My husband and I purchased a
second home a two bedroom condo
in 2011 for our family,
children, grandchildren,
siblings, parents and close
family friends.
What concerns us the most with
this proposal?
If it goes into effect it will
significantly impact our local
businesses.
The one thing we all do when we
visit San Diego is spend money
by going out to eat, drink and
we go to entertainment venues.
And I haven't read any economic
impact analyzes of the fiscal
consequences to local
businesses as a result than
the reduction of second home
ownership.
The very people I feel
Councilmember Ella Rivera is
trying to support and protect
are going to be hurt the most
with the contracting business
environment.
This tax feels very punitive to
not just second home owners but
to the people who work locally.
We are not a wealthy family and
this proposal is not
the answer.
It hasn't worked well in other
cities, often garnering far
less revenue than projected as
identified in the city's
independent Budget Analyst
report.
Thank you for a no vote.
>> Next a Zoom user if you can
please unmute.
>> Hi, my name is Diana
Browning.
I am totally against
the proposed tax on vacant
homes.
People who spoke before me made
good cases for the fact that we
the city of San Diego will have
to get involved in
the inevitable litigation which
could be costly and that other
jurisdictions have not shown
great success in impacting
the availability of affordable
housing.
But on a personal note, let me
tell you our story.
The notion that many of these
vacant home owners are wealthy
and can afford the tax is
totally unfounded.
My husband and I are 87 and 82
years old.
We both worked and saved for
decades.
We've owned our house in old
Scripps Ranch for 48 years,
raised three children here.
We also have a small home up
near Seattle where we have
other family.
When we're out there our house
is not vacant.
It's occupied periodically by
other family members.
>> Please vote no to putting
this on the ballot.
Sorry your time has concluded
although Maestro, if you can
please unmute.
Hi my name is Del Mastro.
I'm a disabled veteran.
I'm an ex blue collar worker on
the senior year and I'm a small
mom and pop landlord.
This is being pushed through
without being completely
reviewed.
I my issues with it is that in
2000 24th JANUARY I had a
tenant give me notice.
I was in such so much pain
physically I had to have a hip
replacement in MARCH.
It took me longer than the 183
days to be able to read to get
my apartment up.
The same thing happened for me
in 2005 where I had another hip
replacement not only need a
knee replacement.
Is there a way I can have an
extension here if I have health
issues?
I'm a senior.
I mean it shouldn't
discriminate against disabled
people or handicapped people.
Most mom and pops or senior
years and we have issues not
being able to get your time has
concluded after John Stump.
After John Stump it is Tony and
then 8700 John Stump please
unmute I can't hear me for you.
>> Thank you.
I sent in a letter.
This is a pure tax measure.
If it was a housing measure
housing would be the dedicate
hated use of these funds.
But of course there is no
dedicated use of this fund.
Please council members at least
modify the proposal.
So the fund is our dedicated to
housing debt reporting on
the actual number of housing
units created by this occurs
and that the audit of
the number of housing units
created by this tax.
Otherwise you're pouring this
tax into a general fund and
it's going to disappear down
the drain like all the other
overspending.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Tony If you can please
unmute.
>> That also concludes the five
minute time We're here in
council chambers.
There are 14 speakers in
the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
>> Tony if you can please
proceed with your comments.
Hello City Council.
Thank you very much for letting
me speak with you all today And
I want to start by apologizing
to Councilmember Vivian Moreno
.
Yesterday I falsely attributed
the credit that should have
been given to you to Stephen
Whitburn for supporting
the empty House proposal in
the committee last week And I
wanted to speak today in favor
of the measure.
I also did want to address
the concerns that have been
raised in San Francisco and in
Berkeley as well.
I want to say that everyone's
concerns about the litigation
in Berkeley and and waiting for
reservation for whatever
happens there to determine what
we decide to do here.
I think we're missing the point
.
We need bold leadership.
Now we don't need to wait for
other cities to tell us what to
do in our city.
We that's why we have our own
courts to decide those things
for ourselves.
>> And we need bold leadership
to take action now.
Thank you.
>> Next is 8700 If you can
please unmute Star six turn
mute.
>> Thank you Joy from the cd
three.
I'm going to repeat what I said
at Rules.
I feel good about it.
There are parts of this item
that will only be clear as we
implement and live them.
Does this apply to all of life?
Yet we must have the courage to
take our leaps.
Here is my main point.
We are one people equals.
We are one family in one San
Diego.
One family has one part of
the money used to cover their
needs in our city family.
That includes all levels of
income and revenue for sharing.
For sharing with all San Diego
homeowners are part of this
family's assets.
Let's do one step at a time.
This is exciting on this item
and if we get enough time has
concluded the San Diego family
moves this up.
We try and if you can please
unmute.
After that is Francine Maxwell
.
>> Oh hi.
My name We trained and I'm
executive director of people.
I'm one of kalinin to continue
to attract my support for
the ballot measure.
Like I said a long time it's
really difficult to build
housing and the most thing that
we can do is just ship a lot of
the empty homes and make them
make them available For many,
many folks here And then I go
and make it more affordable for
them.
Revenues increase so high none
of that came in by home
anymore.
My friends are leaving the town
and I really don't want them to
leave.
I don't want anymore about to
leave.
So please vote for days and
support for that two and then
put them on the ballot and
thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Francine Maxwell If you
can please unmute.
>> Francine Maxwell District
four in Opposition data can be
manipulated.
As we have seen before as it
pertains to our trash free we
had an outside attorney's I
understand that was named.
We have a plethora of city
attorneys but we continually
spend money to get an outside
attorney.
So again we are paying
attention closely to how our
tax dollars are being spent.
When you look at this, this is
going to be dedicated money for
public safety because again we
are one of the safest big
cities and public safety is
number one for all.
So there is other ways that we
can do this.
And when somebody keeps saying
that people are just so evil
because they have to homes
remember what it took for some
people to purchase their
parents home.
And so they are also working
two and three jobs and can't
afford their parents home.
But generational wealth starts
with making sure that grandma
and mom's house never gets sold
.
>> So please keep that in mind.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Blair Beckman if you can please
unmute high where we commenced
this item Was it committee Last
week I was in Maui learning
about it and now back in San
Diego and we're finalizing
things.
Good luck in your efforts.
I think this is an important
item.
We're having an important shift
in thinking that you're trying
to develop a sense of care for
our the people of our community
and our society.
I don't think anybody can fault
councilperson Lapera and staff
for what they're working on
their goals their commendable
really good luck in such
efforts.
I think we're trying to address
San Francisco and that Oakland
and Berkeley have improved upon
San Francisco's ideas that that
needs to be considered And I
don't know quite what to do
with the taxation issue how our
founding fathers would view
taxation versus an overall care
for people that we're trying to
offer for this item.
Good luck how we can move
forward in our human history
and thinking of care as an
important concept of our
beliefs systems.
>> Thank you.
Next is phone number ending in
356356 and then after that evac
3856.
This is Carol Shorter said I
oppose this under tax on a
residential real estate broker
of over 40 years in San Diego
loving this tax on likely
nonresidents who have no voice
in this conversation and they
will have no vote is absolutely
unconscionable.
They already pay their fair
share I for fair share a number
of times they pay their fair
share.
It's all done on property tax
valuation.
Many of these people are
recently purchasing They're
paying over $10,000.
You want to pay them another x,
y, z amount arbitrarily.
That's way more than their fair
share.
These are visitors to our city.
What used to be like San
Diego's Best Buy some you know
Not anymore.
Not if you're going to have
this unwelcome mat at your door
.
I don't like where our city is
headed.
I don't think you have any
right to tax second homes.
What gives you the privilege to
stand there discriminate
against one group of people and
you say to them oh you you
people over here have to pay
for our bad management.
That's wrong.
There's so many things wrong
with that.
>> Your time has come back.
If you can please unmute I am a
resident of d five and I am
calling in to support this
measure.
I believe that housing is a
human right.
I believe that the city has a
responsibility to ensure that
its housing stock is being used
by residents, by
the communities, by people who
are currently struggling to
afford to live in
the communities that they work
in and serve.
>> If somebody wants to have a
second vacant home or have a
vacation home or speculate on
real estate, that's fine.
That's not something the city
will ever be able to stop.
But I believe that the city has
a duty to disincentivize it and
if that goes to help provide
more service is by giving a
progressive tax measure that
supports our general fund.
I'm fine with that too.
>> I live in this city.
I benefit from the services
here.
Thank you.
Next is respect a bird rug If
you can please unmute.
Good afternoon.
I'm Henry Bevins With respect
Bird one in La Hoya along
the coast.
We're here to say build more
first homes first and support
the empty second homes.
That's but pair it with
the coastal height limit Update
on the 2026 ballot.
Don't be scared Taxing
vacancies Managers scarcity But
it does not end in the 1972
Nixon era coastal height limit
update will end scarcity.
For 54 years this Nixon Arab
law has used I-5 as a concrete
barricade to opportunity west
of the freeway.
Coastal neighborhoods approved
only 25 affordable homes in
three years.
That's just not fair.
These measures are partners.
One treats a symptom, the other
treats a disease An artificial
Watergate error 50 years
scarcity of land.
Please place both on the 2026
ballot a draconian 30 foot
height limit until these miles
from the coast is simply not
serving San Diego.
Great turnout today.
I hope people work on that.
Thank you.
Next is Looper Rogers If you
can please unmute and for that
will be Narcan and and cpm
please proceed.
Thank you.
Oh the metric community
advocacy Network is in support
of this proposal.
Thank you Council Member de La
Ribera.
Since we believe that it is
time to address the housing
crisis that the city's
residents have been
experiencing in these recent
years people who are actually
working and are contributing to
the city.
Please people don't choose to
be poor San Diego and are
stepping up and doing what they
can to continue living in
the city.
It is difficult to hear of
parents taking second shifts
just to be able to afford rent.
For many mothers this is their
first time working but they are
willing to step up out of their
homes and work because they
understand the reality that
they are facing.
This year we will start to see
the effects of the many budget
deficits happening at every
single level and it is
difficult to imagine to imagine
how much worse the housing
situation will get.
That is why we asked City
Council to vote yes on this
proposal and let us have final
say in the JUNE elections.
Like many advocates, we want to
see more housing for working
class San Diego and thank you
for your time and consideration
.
Thank you.
Next is on If you can please
unmute I, I want to touch on
the fact that Joe LaCava talked
on it in the Rules Committee on
this Is that what will happen
if somebody takes a house back
they get it back for three
months or if they have to
renovate it then they have to
list the home and then most
first time home buyers are
going to need 60 days for loan
approvals for that particular
seller can just go and sell it
to a corporate nation.
The idea this law should be put
into place is going to promote
selling your home to a
corporation over selling it to
a first time home buyer.
This six month period is is is
a wrong idea without any kind
of extension for motivation For
me I have health issues so I
need to have an extension at
times longer than 183 days.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Nancy.
If you can please unmute I can
you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
>> Thanks.
I'm Nancy with of your Families
for Justice calling in support
of the empty homes tax ballot
measure.
I also work in homeless
services with staff who have
previously and currently are
experiencing homelessness.
We believe housing is a human
right.
We are grateful for Sean
Rivera's persistence in finding
a way to address our housing
crisis.
We need both bold solutions and
this is one of them.
It's all the better By being a
voter decision.
We are a collection of families
who are finding it almost
unbearable to raise our kids
here under the burden of
housing and child care costs.
Many of us wish to have kids or
more kids but can't because of
the inability to rent or buy
bigger.
But the commenters with two
homes that have called in these
wake up you are not suffering.
You can avoid this by making
your property available for
short term renters or other
ways.
>> It's not occupied.
Maybe even increase your
income.
Last but not least our budget
woes could be quickly solved
with public outrage over apd
murdering and spending $30
million of our taxpayer dollars
until the time has concluded.
>> Chris Gene, if you can
please unmute.
>> After that is Lyn.
Christine Please proceed.
Hi, I'm in District one.
I don't understand why there's
a rush to get this on
the ballot.
You guys have had ten months
you've been working on it for
ten months to get your
propaganda out and everything
else.
You know people in opposition
only have a few months to get
the other side out So I think
that's really wrong.
I also believe there's going to
be a lot of unintended
consequences that come with
this.
People are going to be turning
their homes The Airbnbs it's
going to destroy neighborhoods.
I don't think it's a good thing
And I just I don't like
the rush.
Also currently right now in my
area rent is 10 to $20,000 a
month.
That's going to go up because
when you guys changed
the zoning, the fire zoning now
all of a sudden we've lost our
homeowner's insurance.
So we're probably gonna have to
go with the fair plan which is
anything but fair.
It's expensive And if people
are renting their homes out if
they're going to have to
increase the rent from 10 to 20
to 20 to 30,000, it's not a
good thing.
>> Please vote no.
Your time has concluded.
Next is Lynn.
>> Hi there.
My name is Lynn and I'm a San
Diego resident strongly in
support of the empty homes tax
.
I've been in San Diego over 30
years and I once owned a condo
that I lost in the crash of
2008 And after that I.
I could never seem to get
caught up.
As prices continued to rise
etc. But when the pandemic hit
in 2020 all of my friends even
the ones that were somewhat
poor like me became
millionaires overnight who
owned homes, anybody who owned
a home even if it was a you
know, 400 square foot hovel.
Well, I spent the last five
years getting worrying about
getting kicked out of my
apartment that I rent.
So I've been checking into all
kinds of things that California
dream for all addus tiny homes.
>> But none of those things are
doable because of permitting
and all that kind of stuff and
I'm glad some of that
concluding comment Janika after
that is Doreen Diaz and she is
our final speaker.
Janika Falconer Hi, can you
hear me?
Yes, Please proceed.
How can you to me anyway I am
Janika Addie for resident
people who live and work in San
Diego know firsthand that
the cost of renting and buying
a place to live is sky high.
Part of our housing crisis is
due to big corporations and
wealthy investors snatching up
over 5000 homes.
These empty second, third and
fourth homes tighten Housing
market and make it more
expensive to rent or buy.
San Diego can increase access
to housing by supporting a
proposed ballot measure that
would tax big corporations and
wealthy investors who are
keeping homes off the market.
This will encourage them to
either put homes on the market
for Sandy against to rent or
buy.
Increasing the supply and
lowering the cost or pay a tax
to generate revenue to build
more affordable housing and
infrastructure.
Please put voters in control of
deciding how revenue for
affordable housing and other
items are spent.
Through public input,
transparent oversight and an
independent budget audit.
Thank you for serving our
communities.
Have a good night.
Thank you.
Our final speaker is during
Diaz.
If you can please unmute.
>> Hi.
I am in favor of this.
That has been fighting a vacant
hold for five years.
This home was a public nuisance
since DECEMBER 2021 Code
enforcement abatement.
There was no action taken.
The project 112833 also states
that this lot is empty because
dsd allows fraud with Diva llc
and broker committing fraud
saying it's an empty lot.
But as I ask you this with this
vacant property it can an empty
lot get a demolition permit?
And why would an empty lot be
given a demolition permit and
they lie in the application
saying it's known to very high
fines then no to code
enforcement.
These vacant home is a nuisance
and anybody who can't rent a
home has a problem.
>> The delivery not wanting.
Your time has concluded That
does include public comment.
I would just note for
the record that we did receive
four speakers in favor that did
not wish to speak.
One speaker in opposition that
did not wish to speak and we
received 20 comments in favor
and 94 comments in opposition
very comment form which have
been distributed to
the Council.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you City Clerk.
Before we move on, please join
me in thanking City Clerk
Fuentes for managing as well as
her entire team going forward.
>> At this time you could clap
Nobody.
Anyway, it is not an easy task
and her and her team do a
fabulous job.
We very much appreciated.
Make sure everybody gets heard
that wants to speak.
Thank you all for showing up
and speaking Those who
participated remotely
appreciate that as well.
So now we'll turn it over to
council members for questions,
comments and entertain a motion
and we'll start with council
member Ella Rivera.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Or say thank
you to Mayor you and Molly for
all the work that you put into
this.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Charles to you and
your team for all the analysis
that you provided Treasurer's
office for their work and again
the City Attorney's office I
also want to say thank you to
the folks who came down here to
share your story.
I think you helped ground us in
what is at stake today and I
could not help but notice how
many young faces we saw here
today.
Um, the desire to just have a
chance to live in this city is
so strong and we need to
encourage that.
We need to make folks know that
we are trying to give them
again.
No one's asking for a handout.
No one here was asking for free
housing.
They want a chance to live in
the city that they love and
that they work in.
We heard it from teachers.
We heard it from firefighters.
We heard it from students.
We heard it from recent grads.
And I so appreciate you all
showing up here and sharing
your stories And that's why
home shouldn't be sitting empty
during a housing crisis.
We are making strides as a
city.
We've strengthened tenant
protections.
We've increased permitting and
production.
We've created tools to preserve
affordable housing And we have
an opportunity today to take an
additional step and ask voters
whether they want another tool
that can directly help San
Diego and stay in San Diego.
The empty homes tax that's
proposed would do two things
that matter.
First, it changes incentives.
Some homes currently sitting
vacant would are more likely to
be rented or sold to people who
actually live here.
As a council we've celebrated
breaking ground and approving
financing for the development
of 50 homes 75 homes, 100
homes.
And we should celebrate that
every time we build a home we
add a home.
We relieve pressure in a market
that has become a pressure
cooker for everyday people.
We cannot predict exactly how
many homes will return to
the long term market if this
measure passes but we do know
this incentives will change and
homes will come back into use.
And just like every new home we
build, every home returned to
the housing market is worthy of
celebration because it opens a
door to a family or a young
professional that gets to stay
in San Diego potentially even
as a homeowner.
The second thing it does is
generate new revenue for
general city services services
that support housing stability,
homelessness prevention and
the basic infrastructure that
residents rely on.
They genuine win win for San
Diego and for San Diegans.
The overwhelming majority of
San Diegans will never pay this
tax because it does not apply
to primary homes.
It does not apply to long term
rentals.
It targets a narrow category
homes left vacant for most of
the year.
Again in the middle of a
housing shortage.
I want to be explicit for
the record I did this in
committee.
I'll do it again on a legal
question that's come up in
recent weeks regarding
the Ellis Act.
This measure does not require
anyone to rent their home.
It does not compel anyone to
remain in the rental business.
Nothing in this proposal
changes The Ellis Act, changes
eviction law or creates any
right for the city or for
anyone else to occupy.
Private property owners retain
the full right to keep a home
vacant if they choose.
What this measure does do is
straightforward It sets an
objective standard vacant for
more than 180 days and says
that if an owner chooses to
keep a residential property
vacant beyond that threshold
during a housing shortage, that
choice has a real public cost
and a tax applies that is
illegitimate exercises exercise
of the city's taxing authority
and is meaningfully different
from what San Francisco tried
to do.
San Francisco's measures would
strip San Francisco's measure
was structured in a way that
courts found effectively
compelled rental of specific
residential buildings.
Ours is not that our scope is
different.
It's more carefully crafted and
it exists in its exclusions and
modeled closely on a measure
which has operated successfully
for over two years without a
successful legal challenge.
So while amateur legal analysts
are throwing spaghetti at
the wall because they know
the people are broadly
supportive of this proposal,
the city's attorney's office
with outside expert counsel has
reviewed this carefully and I'm
very confident in
the foundation we built.
I want to be clear about how
carefully the rest of this
proposal proposal has been put
together.
We work closely with
the Treasurer's office and with
people in the community to
create a measure that is
implementable.
We took into account real life
circumstances where a tax
should not apply and I hope
that some of the opponents who
spoke today listen to this
because some of the concerns
were raised are not actually
you're going to be exempt from
this tax if a family member is
living in a second home, that
home should not be taxed and it
won't.
If a loved one has passed away
and the family is navigating
probate or cannot yet afford
needed repairs, that home
should not be taxed and it
won't be.
If someone is deployed in
the military their home should
not be taxed and it won't be.
These exclusions exist because
good policy has to be sensible
and fair.
While staying focused on
the goal getting homes back
into use for San Diegans who
need them My priority is San
Diego families its young
professionals.
It's the public workers who
want to live in this city.
This is one piece of a broad
strategy to lower the cost of
living and expand opportunity
in the city.
The opportunity before us today
is straightforward.
We can act or we can leave
intact a system where thousands
of homes sit empty while
everyday people work their off
just to afford a place to live
.
With that I move I move staff
recommendation and authorize
myself Councilmember Isla
Rivera to sign and file a
written ballot argument in
favor of the ballot measure for
inclusion in the voter
pamphlet.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Council members.
>> So we do have a motion to
move the staff recommendation
that it's shown on the screen
And we'll go next to Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee Thank you
Council PRESIDENT And thank you
council member Ella Rivera for
bringing this proposal forward
.
We all know that San Diego is
facing a housing crisis.
We need more homes as part of
that housing supply.
Yet many homes that could house
San Diegans are sitting empty,
built, ready but unused while
families struggle to afford
rent.
First time homebuyers struggle
to compete.
And young people who grew up
here wonder whether they'll
ever be able to stay.
That disconnect is what this
measure is intended to address.
At its core, this proposal is
about fairness and responsible
use of housing in a city where
housing is scarce.
Homes should be lived in,
rented out or sold to someone
who will live in them.
What this measure says is
simple If someone chooses to
keep a home empty then they
should contribute a little more
to the community that makes
that investment possible.
If someone can afford to own a
second home and not use it for
any purpose they can absolutely
afford to pay this tax and
should importantly this
proposal still leaves
the choice with the homeowner.
A homeowner can continue to
leave the home empty and pay
the tax.
Or they can put the home to use
by living in it, renting it out
or selling it.
This is why I view this as a
very reasonable and targeted
approach.
It does not impact as
Councilmember Isla Rivera
mentioned, any primary
residences or renters and is
focused specifically on
the roughly 5000 homes that
already file an exemption to
the city's rental unit business
tax and identify themselves as
a second home or vacation home.
That list already exists
doesn't require some audit.
Many of these are likely owned
by people who live elsewhere
and are not part of our local
housing supply.
The measure also includes
thoughtful exemptions for
homeowners facing unique
circumstances such as those in
long term care or on military
deployment.
And I also want to thank
council member Ella Rivera for
taking our amendment a
committee to ensure that
the measure does not impact
newly built housing.
>> We appreciate the report
provided by the aba which helps
us to understand how this
measure compares with similar
policies adopted in other
cities.
And the end result is a range
of revenue expectations that I
believe gives voters a
realistic understanding of what
this measure can generate.
That revenue MAY be modest but
at a time when the city faces
ongoing budgetary challenges,
every responsible source of
revenue helps support
the services that our residents
rely on.
Ultimately, today's action is
about giving voters
the opportunity to weigh in on
a focused and reasonable
proposal.
I believe this is a thoughtful
step for us to place before
the voters again in a housing
crisis.
Homes should be for living in
not sitting empty.
And for these reasons I'm proud
to support this measure and I'm
happy to second the motion.
All right.
So with that we have a motion
by council member Ella Rivera
and a second by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee to move
the staff recommendation with
the additional language as
shown on the screen.
All offer a few comments
because I don't see anybody
else on the lines of
Councilmember Campos.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you to the members of
the public who came in at Rules
Committee and today to express
their views.
And I appreciate the District
nine staff for the work in
bringing back a revised
proposal.
And I thank them for excluding
tier three and Tier four short
term vacation rentals.
And the definition of an empty
home.
You know, I'm all ears on ideas
that could potentially put
homes on the market.
And it seems that this proposal
certainly would.
And when this item came to
the Rules Committee last week,
I asked for one thing to help
make my decision at full
council a robust legal memo
analyzing the taxes ability to
withstand a lawsuit.
I have not received it.
It is hard to believe that
after months of developing
the proposal with significant
similarities to a version
that's been stopped in court in
2024 that there is no memo to
share.
When we have tight lines, tight
timelines as we do today with
less than one week between
committee and council, we
should rely on the analysis not
just the conclusion to make
responsible decisions.
Councils past and present have
relied on recommendations that
ended up wasting staff time and
taxpayer dollars without
demanding the analysis first.
I won't make that same mistake.
Let me be clear that our deputy
city attorneys are competent
and diligent and dedicated
public service servants working
on the most important issues
facing our city.
i know this personally because
I have worked with them for.
As a council member for over
five years and as one of them
for two and a half years before
that.
But I weigh the potential legal
viability and risk together
with the net public benefit and
the decisions I make no matter
how compelling or urgent
the motivation behind it is.
And certainly there is an
urgent and compelling
motivation.
I'm hesitant to vote for this
today because I have not
received the information I need
to be confident in that
decision and confidence in our
decisions is something
the public truly lacks these
days.
I wanted simple information to
make the best decision for my
constituents and I cannot in
good faith vote yes today on
the reasonable request I made
last week has not been
fulfilled.
As stated earlier, there is so
much at stake.
I agree.
And that's why moving forward
without the final piece of work
and perhaps the most
consequential piece of work
being done is inadvisable.
Thank you.
>> All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Camp here for
your comment.
Again, not seeing anybody else
on the lights.
>> Okay.
Well, I'll give you that extra
time.
Let me offer a few comments of
my own and then maybe ask a
couple of questions.
So I do want to thank
Councilmember Gil Rivera and
your team for the good work in
bringing this forward.
I want to thank the aba for
your in-depth analysis which
this Council relies on and
the candor you described in
terms of trying to frame how
much from purely a revenue
point of view this could
generate.
I'm a little frustrated by
those who throw the Bible under
the bus when they don't like
the numbers and then tell us to
follow the debate carefully
when they do like the numbers.
But I do appreciate the good
work you've done and the very
thoughtful way in which you've
approached it And I know
there's more work to be done.
Yeah, I have to get on to
the ballot.
I want to thank the city
attorney's office for the good
work that they did in helping
to craft this language.
And the one thing that I'm
assured of is that the city
attorney's office would not put
something in front of this
council for a final vote that
not have had not been fully
vetted in light of case law,
federal law, local law, state
law and litigation.
I also want to thank all
the members of the public
whatever side you are on.
You brought compelling
arguments both for and against
this measure.
You were respectful to one
another which as counsel
PRESIDENT I certainly
appreciate and I hear
the passion in your voices.
We face many challenges as a
city and two of our most
pressing are housing and our
structural budget deficit.
The Empty Homes Initiative is
not a silver bullet in itself
To solve these challenges we
know there isn't one solution
to make everything better.
But let me be clear Every
action we can take small and
targeted big and bold is
important.
This measure has the potential
to move us in the right
direction by generating new
revenue to fund city services,
turning empty houses into homes
for San Diego through some
combination of the two and
however this mix plays out.
This is a good measure for San
Diego and for San Diego.
I also want to thank Council
member Hill over here and his
team for moving this proposal
forward.
Over the past several months
for listening to stakeholders
right sizing the initiative to
the version we see today, I
also want to put this measure
in proper context because I
heard a number of things that
are a little bit at odds with
reality.
The fact is we all operate in a
way driven by state, local and
federal law.
We also make decisions based on
the tax code, the tax code,
the federal and state tax codes
is the very essence of driving
the public's investments
investments and financial
decisions incentivizing their
behavior.
The federal tax code ironically
in this conversation for
example literally incentivizes
empty second homes.
How the tax code allows
the owner to deduct mortgage
payments, deduct a portion of
property tax.
This measure has
the opportunity to level
the playing field for the rest
of us.
However, the Empty Homes
initiative plays out is in
the hands of the empty
homeowners.
It is their choice.
Pay the tax.
Change Behavior.
Offer their units for rent or
sell the property.
That's their choice.
>> Many of those owners of
empty homes tell us they
operate in a certain way.
This MAY be an incentive to
slightly change how you operate
as so many other laws and tax
code provisions compel us to do
so.
>> Make no mistake every home
that comes in the market for
rent or for sale is something
to celebrate whether it is high
end or workforce housing.
Every new unit that is
available to San Diego is a
win.
This measure could bring
hundreds of empty homes back
into the marketplace making
more homes available to San
Diego residents.
That's a win at any scale.
This measure could generate new
revenue.
Even the low end estimate of
what I hear now is 9 million
per year will be a significant
contribution towards our
structural deficit.
That's a win at any scale And
if these homes are flipped to
short term rentals, well that's
new Totti that flows to
the city budget as
Councilmember Campo mentioned
at committee and that's a win
as well.
So in closing, however, empty
homes initiative plays out
keeping that empty home empty
and paying the tax.
Changing the owners behavior
based on the language of
the ballot measure.
Converting it to rental
converting it to a short term
rental or selling it no matter
what choices owners make.
It is a win for San Diego and a
win for San Diego.
So I will be voting to support
the empty homes tax on the JUNE
ballot.
Sitting up here as council
PRESIDENT.
I hear a lot of things that I
have to decide what I'm going
to talk about.
I'm a little bit disturbed that
there is an implication in here
that the city attorney has not
responded to a committee
members request for a legal
interpretation.
Now you would never ask your
personal attorney to tell
the world what your legal
strategy is.
That would be foolhardy And I
think everybody in this room
knows about it.
It was very uncomfortable to
listen to the questions at
Rules Committee that
essentially was asking the city
attorney to resuscitate.
That's not the right word.
To repeat what their legal
strategy is in defending this
ballot measure.
So I'm very concerned about
the idea that is being
represented in this chambers
that the city attorney has done
nothing since committee.
They have done things in
the best action that a city
attorney should provide in
terms of informing council
members of a legal basis for a
measure.
You MAY disagree with that.
That's okay.
You can disagree with it.
You can have your own opinion.
We have attorneys on this
council that MAY have a
different interpretation.
I'm okay with that.
But to represent to this public
that we have received no legal
briefings on this measure is
just frankly false.
And I'm really disappointed by
that.
I'll leave it at that.
But I will be supporting
the measure.
>> And we'll go next to council
member Yvonne Wolpert.
Thank you very much for
the work and the presentation
to council in the Oval Office.
Thank you to everyone who has
weighed in on this measure.
I know it's been a lot of time
and effort and thoughtfulness.
I've heard from many of my
residents not only in District
five or across the city
actually who have varying
opinions on this on this ballot
measure And some of
the concerns that I did hear
from residents are one not only
we can't afford to live here my
daughter became a teacher and
she can't afford to stay in
the city To folks who have a
second condo in their parents
come in to do childcare for
their grandchildren and that's
what they use it for.
And so I've heard from all
sorts of folks on this and I
did have a couple of concerns
that I'm glad have been
addressed including our
military service members.
I have quite a few members of
the military who live right
outside of Miramar in my
district and I'm glad to see
that if they are deployed which
is completely out of their
control especially given
the national events going on
right now, this empty homes tax
would not apply to their home
while they're deployed.
That's correct.
>> Thank you Council everyone.
Wolpert That's correct with
the exclusion.
Okay.
Thank you.
And I also have heard from many
of my constituents are they own
a second home but I have family
members that live in that
second home and they MAY not
have a formal lease for
example.
Their children MAY come back
from college for the summer and
in the fall season and they are
here more than 183 days a year
but they don't have a lease
with their kids.
Maybe they should Maybe their
kids are actually you know,
should learn how to get into
leases But my understanding is
that there is a rental unit
business tax exemption that's
available for individuals in
the circumstance where a family
is using the home so that they
can show what they're doing
with their home.
It's not an actual empty home
that their children or their
relatives are in it.
So can anyone from your office
or the city treasurer or anyone
please speak to the process and
what's involved in exempting a
property or that has their own
family staying in their second
home?
Thank you.
I can start us off and if
the Treasurer's office wants to
chime in they're more than
welcome to But you're right in
the r u b t which owners of
residential units they pay for
the rental unit business tax.
There's an exemption that is
available for I forget what
it's called in the rfp but
there is an exemption for
family members living on
the property even if they don't
have a lease even if they're
paying less than the cost to
operate the property And we did
copy that same exemption
practically into the into our
empty homes tax as well.
Okay.
Got it.
Understood.
I don't know if the city
Treasurer wants to weigh in on
that now or later but happy we
are residents will want to know
what the process is to make
sure that they are exempt from
the tax If they do meet
the qualifications of having
their own family in their home
.
I have a link to I know I'm
the business tax program
manager with the city
Treasurer's office So yes we do
have a current exemption where
the family member if a family
was living in the property we
have the exemption from we
require to some certain
documents for example like a
proof of residence which could
be like a bill utility bill.
There's also the amount that
that the property is being
rented for.
So that's we rented that land
and in their owners owner's
expense So if it's for a profit
then it's not exempt.
But there's a specific formula
we use to exempt the homes and
that will continue to run with
it very quickly.
And now we're talking about
multiple exemptions at the same
time.
So to make sure so
the exemption that was
referenced there and and
the Treasurer can correct me if
I'm wrong there they're
referring to the exemption from
the rental business rental unit
business tax, right?
So we've got the exemptions and
exemptions for this but
the nuances of being able to be
exempt from the rental business
tax that we're just spoken to
as well.
>> Okay.
Understood.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
Got it.
So this is that I just read it
knowing that if there is a
homeowner who does have their
children coming home for
the summer or you know, parents
coming in to help a grandchild
care that will they will be
able to use the existing
exemptions and lohud to make
sure that they're exempt from
this tax when their home is
literally empty.
If it is empty you'd be a
different discussion.
Okay, Thank you.
I appreciate that very much and
I appreciate everyone who has
weighed in on this since There
are people who have very
different opinions back and
forth.
But you know, we are in
the middle of a real housing
crisis here in San Diego and I
do believe that big policy
decisions like this deserve
public input And I do support
giving voters a chance to weigh
in on the empty homes ballot
measure.
I've heard from too many local
San Diego families who are
struggling to find housing that
they can afford and it's
reasonable to ask whether a
vacant second home should be
part of that conversation.
But I do appreciate that this
ballot measure includes
important protections for other
San Diego families who are
using their second homes to
house their own family or to
house their own parents who are
coming in to make sure they can
care for grandchildren other
things.
So since it would not apply to
homes occupied by family
members or properties that are
vacant through no fault of
the owner including military
deployment disaster anything or
inheriting a home suddenly due
to a death in the family.
I do think that this was
crafted in a way to make sure
that it only applies to truly
vacant homes and this is about
transparency and democracy And
I believe that letting
the voter decide how we address
our housing challenges is
appropriate and right.
And I think that the goals of
this are very important And so
I will be supporting it today.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Velma Alpert.
We'll go back to Council member
Campion.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Respectfully
sir, you and I are both bound
by the attorney client
privilege as members of this
body regarding the legal advice
we are given So I'm unable to
respond to your assertion that
you just made without violating
that privilege.
>> I'll just repeat the line I
said in my comments We should
rely on the analysis not just
the conclusions to make
responsible decisions.
>> All right.
I appreciate that clarification
Not seeing anybody else but I'm
sorry just on my very briefly
my apologies Certainly the city
attorney as the deputy city
attorney is on this case As I
pointed out, are diligent,
competent and dedicated.
Just to reiterate, I asked for
a robust memo that went into
some depth.
You can see my comments at
rules as to what that was
asking for.
That is what I have not
received.
Thank you.
Okay.
Fair enough.
I'm tired of reading things in
the paper that are not what we
meant but how they get
interpreted and that's
the sandbox that we're all
stuck in.
So I appreciate your
clarification.
So with that I don't see
anybody else in the lights.
We have a motion by council
member Ella Rivera that moves
the staff recommendation with
the authorization for himself
council member Olivia to sign
and file a written ballot
argument in favor of the ballot
measure for inclusion in
the voter pamphlet and was
seconded by Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee.
Clerk Please call the roll I'm
sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote that passes 8 to
1 with Councilmember Campos
voting no Thank you Council
PRESIDENT All right.
>> Thank you.
And with that final vote and
final action we will now
adjourn council to the next
regularly scheduled council
meeting on Monday MARCH 9th,
2026 at 10 A.M..