Questions about trust in City Hall, including whether residents believe their leaders are listening, dominated a March 2 Linda Vista town hall with San Diego City Council Member Raul Campillo, who represents District 7.
Campillo recently held a series of town halls in his district, in the neighborhoods of Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Navajo, and Tierrasanta.
From the failed one-cent sales tax measure to trash fees, parking fees, bonus ADUs, fire safety laws, and e-bikes, the evening revealed a consistent theme. Residents are skeptical of San Diego’s government, a concern Campillo says he doesn’t take lightly.
Hot Button Items That Lead San Diegans to Distrust City Hall
Voters Rejected Sales Tax Increase
Campillo began the evening by reflecting on the failed one-cent sales tax ballot measure, which he had supported.
“As many of you know, in 2024, I was pushing hard for the one-cent sales tax on the ballot,” started Campillo. That measure failed.
“What that told me was San Diego voters are not ready to trust the city with more money, and so we need to listen accordingly,” he said. Campillo said that view was not widely shared by his fellow council members or by Mayor Todd Gloria.
“But I said to myself, all right, that means we’ve got to do more on transparency and accountability, listening, hard work, and fiscal responsibility to be able to earn that trust,” said Campillo. “So that’s what I’ve been working really, really hard on.”
Trash Fees Viewed as Bait and Switch
In 2022, San Diego voters approved Measure B, allowing the City to charge residents for trash collection. Early estimates suggested the fee would cost up to $29 per household. In 2025, the year the trash fee was introduced, the initial estimate increased by almost 75%.
“I voted no on that,” Campillo said, describing the rollout as “a bait and switch.” He continued, “When we promise one thing and then deliver something different, it really damages public confidence.”
San Diego Parking Fees Debacle
When Campillo addressed Balboa Park’s parking fees, there was an audible grumble in the crowd. Campillo opposed the measure to implement these fees. The mayor has said parking fees are necessary to generate revenue to address the City’s budget deficit.
“Balboa Park is one of the last low-cost or free places to go,” he said. “So creating that new barrier meant harder access, especially for low-income people, especially for middle-class people who are also pinching pennies right now.”
Campillo also noted that the entire plan was confusing because residents who live in neighborhoods outside the city limits, like La Mesa or El Cajon, would be charged as if they were tourists. And, despite the City needing money, he felt this was the wrong approach. So much so that he plans to propose a ballot measure to codify free parking at beaches and bays, to avoid a similar issue to that at Balboa Park.
The council member also disagreed with Mayor Gloria’s decision to increase downtown parking fees to $10 per hour during Padres games, particularly for the wide swath of the neighborhood not attending, nowhere near Petco Park, and for the length of time proposed.
“People parking at 17th and the 5 freeway have nothing to do with what’s going on at Petco Park, so those people shouldn’t be punished. And Padre games don’t last four hours anymore, so why are we going to six hours [of $10 parking]? It didn’t really make sense to me,” said Campillo.
Resident Expresses Anger with Mayor
A 60-year resident of Linda Vista, Ms. Castro, expressed her disdain for the mayor to Campillo and asked why the City can’t return to a city manager system rather than the current strong mayor system.
“This mayor has been a total disaster for San Diego. You pointed out those reasons,” she said. “I have a whole lot of others. This mayor needs help, and he still has three or four years that he is going to stick it to us.”
Campillo stated that San Diego underfunded its pension plan under a city manager system, and that both systems have positives and negatives. “I think Donna Frye said it best: ‘The form of government is not usually what the problem is, it’s the people,'” said Campillo.
Castro agreed. “I know you put the effort out, but the others don’t give a damn about Linda Vista, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa—the older parts of San Diego.”
Constituents Voice Concerns to Campillo
After addressing citywide fiscal issues, the discussion shifted to neighborhood issues affecting residents of Linda Vista and Serra Mesa, which are also of concern to residents of Clairemont and Kearny Mesa.
ADUs are Still on the Radar
Despite the City amending the ADU (accessory dwelling unit) laws, which led to the proliferation of these units across San Diego, residents remain concerned.
One resident said, “There are three-story mega units going up. Where are people going to park?”
Campillo pointed out that 97% of ADUs built in San Diego had fewer than three units. But he acknowledged that things got out of control when developers pushed the envelope of what the prior ADU law allowed. “We didn’t expect land owners to buy up entire canyons and try to build a hundred units down in it,” he said. “A well-intentioned idea led to very disastrous results.”
In the Line of Fire
Fire safety was another major topic, including rising insurance rates and the new Zone Zero laws. Zone Zero will require property owners to maintain a five-foot ember-resistant boundary around their homes. This could require homeowners to remove plants, patio furniture, and other items around their property.
Zone Zero is a statewide directive, but members of the community nonetheless pressed Campillo on what they consider aggressive overreach. A Navajo resident who identified himself as a landscape architect said he is concerned that this plan is myopic, introduced by fire departments rather than through comprehensive consultation with environmentalists, biologists, and landscape architects like himself.
“After visiting Altadena five months after the fire, you would understand that it’s not necessarily the plant material that is the problem,” the community member said. “Once we start taking out the plant material, it’s going to have a solar effect on the homes. Our utilities are going to skyrocket.”
He said to Campillo, “Go back to the Council. Go to the State. Say no. Say no to the governor. We elected you to stand up for us.”
Campillo responded, “I appreciate where you’re coming from to say, ‘Go say no to the governor.’ I’m just saying, the law doesn’t work like that. So we have to propose a solution that would hopefully change their minds. But it’s very hard to change the mind of the state legislature.”
E-Bikes and Safety Concerns
Campillo and his constituents also debated the topic of e-bikes, with one 77-year-old resident who’s ridden his e-bike more than 13,000 miles expressing concern that proposed restrictions might go too far. Others highlighted the dangers of high-speed e-bikes, especially those ridden by young children.
It’s a bill that Campillo supports. “Fundamentally, this is about young people under 12 who are not acting responsibly.” Campillo also pointed out that the City is considering adopting portions of Assembly Bill 2234, which was enacted in late 2024. The bill, the San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program, enables the County of San Diego to prohibit children under age 12 from operating electric bicycles.
New Residents Looking for Insight
A married couple who recently moved to San Diego from Oakland also had questions for Campillo.
“You pointed out all the things that don’t work in terms of generating money for the city,” the husband said. “What does? What are the solutions?”
Campillo quickly responded, “You know what does work? Keeping San Diego safe and clean so tourists want to come here…and spend their money here. One of the best things you can do, not just for the City budget but for the whole entire economic environment, is to really promote small businesses and draw in people where tourists want to come. And make that message loud and clear.”
Campillo pointed out what he says are positives for the City, like TED Talks moving to San Diego in 2027, which he anticipates will boost the City’s economy.
Campillo Says He’ll Fight for His Constituents
Campillo closed the night by thanking attendees and encouraging them to stay engaged. “I’m willing to vote no on the things that you really want me to fight on,” Campillo emphasized. “I love fighting for you. I love being able to ask the questions that you guys give me.”
He urged his constituents to reach out. “If you send me a message, we’re going to figure it out, and we’re going to answer it. I can’t promise you’ll like the answer, but I can promise you we’ll dig deep.”
