You can read the text of my Ballot Initiative, here.
Throughout this summer, I will be hosting “Open Houses” at the most egregious alligator site projects at various sites throughout the City of San Diego.
Why a voter-backed Ballot Initiative? San Diego is a Charter City. The State’s “one-size fits all” housing solution with SB9 and AB 881, and AB 976, leave the door open to alligator projects.
Our City Council has acted long enough under the dominance of the State’s threat to sue, or otherwise cajole our City Council with things like the ‘Builder’s Remedy,’ to provide ‘affordable’ housing. It has effectively prevented the Council from closing the door that the alligators are slipping through.
Anyone who watched the March 4, 2025 City Council Meeting witnessed the extreme fear our council members have of the State’s power of legal threat by Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California to sue the City of San Diego if it doesn’t comply with the State’s edicts.
The only way that the City Council can act responsibly before more Alligators infiltrate our neighborhoods is to put a moritorium on all building permits for ADUs over 3 units until they finish their review of the ADU Bonus Density rules. They elected not to do so on March 4, 2025, obstenively becasuse of fear of the State suing the City, and or developers using the “Builder’s Remedy” to force the City to approve their projects.
They need to re-align themselves with the special interest group that matters most–the residents of San Diego that need housing. They will never accomplish this task with the State’s “one size fits all,” dominance.
They need our help in taking back local control of San Diego’s housing policy.
The only way left is for them to do so is through the public’s demand via a voter-approved ballot initiative.
Once recovered, Local control means working honesty and transparently with each of our Community Planning Groups to determine where and what type of housing projects are appropriate and feasable in each neighborhood.
They must now listen and implement the people’s determination of what’s good for us.
The people’s determination can be had with the San Diego Local Control of Housing Act.
**A final word. In 2017, I worked with Bill Brand, the former mayor of Redondo Beach on a statewide ballot initiative to take back local control of housing from the state. Before his passing, he initiated the lawsuit against SB 9. He was a courageous man who was the inspiration for my ballot initiative.
Bill died on February 10, 2024. On April 22, 2024, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled that SB 9 was unconstititional within Charter Cities “because it infringes on local control and doesn’t adequately address affordable housing.” With this judgement from the court, I know now, that Bill is resting in peace.
I need your help in my effort to raise funds for the my Ballot Initiative, podcast, pay for the Open Houses I will hold at the Alligator project sites, and the creation of APPs for residents to access information and help if they’ve been bitten by an Alligator Project.