Four of five candidates running for city attorney in November to replace termed-out Jan Goldsmith crossed swords at a May 11 Pacific Beach public forum, tackling hot-button issues like short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) and homelessness.
All four Democrat candidates — Mara Elliott, Bryan Pease, Gil Cabrera and Rafael Castallanos — were present. The lone Republican in the race, Robert (Bob) Hickey, was not.
In opening remarks, Chief Deputy City Attorney Elliott, a 22-year law veteran, claimed to be the race’s “insider,” noting she knows how things work at City Hall. “I’ve got a lot of experience in auditing specializing in operational effectiveness and saving money,” she said. “I can’t stress the importance of this office. It requires experience in just about everything.”
If elected, Elliott would become the city’s first female city attorney.
“This is the most important office nobody knows about,” said Cabrera. “We need a lawyer with the highest ethics. It will be a priority of mine to work to increase the transparency of the office.”
Animal-rights activist and attorney Bryan Pease saw the city attorney’s role somewhat differently, casting himself as the race’s populist candidate.
“I’m the only candidate here who has a judgment against the city in both civil and criminal cases,” said Pease, who’s defended the harbor seals’ presence at La Jolla’s Children’s Pool. “The city attorney needs to enforce the law but always stand for the public’s interest.”
Castellanos, a land-use lawyer and a Port commissioner, argued that “The city for decades has not had an attorney representing it in the core areas of infrastructure, finance and real estate development.” He added his experience as a transactional attorney will allow him to ensure that the city “doesn’t make another bad deal” like the (previous) Chargers ticket guarantee.
On STVRs and whether they’re allowed under current law, all four candidates agreed it’s a real problem needing revision. But their take on the required changes varied.
“There’s nothing in the municipal code allowing minihotels in neighborhoods,” said Elliott, who’s been endorsed by Save San Diego Neighborhoods, lobbying to remove STVRs from single-family neighborhoods.
“We need to make sure all the codes and regulations are being followed,” said Pease. “But we also have a responsibility to protect the property rights of those who are doing things legally and are good for the community.”
“We need to become more creative in solving the problem,” said Cabrera.
“There’s a balance that needs to be struck,” said Castellanos, adding, “We need better enforcement of STVRs that are illegal under the municipal code.”
On homelessness, the candidates had their own takes and what needs to be done to resolve the issue.
“At the Port, we addressed chronic homelessness on the waterfront with outreach to the homeless population,” said Castellanos. “We matched them with wrap-around services, which is critical.”
“It’s a complex issue with drug and alcohol problems and mental instability,” said Elliott. “We need to work together better to try and resolve this.”
“The city attorney needs to take a leadership role on that issue,” said Pease, adding part of the problem stems from a lack of affordable housing. “Developers,” he said, “refuse to build enough affordable housing.”
“There’s been a lack of focus on the housing-first model,” said Cabrera. “We need to come up with more creative ways to help resolve this problem.”
In closing remarks, Cabrera said, “We need a city attorney who’s a lawyer, not a politician, who is independent. I’m proud of the breadth of my support, which comes from Republicans and Democrats, from people like Donna Frye and (former mayor) Dick Murphy. You want an attorney with integrity.”
“I bring a very different approach to this race,” argued Castellanos. “For nearly 50 years, we haven’t had a city attorney grounded in land use, like I am. We’ve had city attorneys who rubber-stamped. That’s why the city has fallen on its face (legally) over and over.”
“This isn’t an experiment; we need someone in the role who can get the job done,” said Elliott. “I’ve got a proven track record of success.”
“I am looking out for the public’s interest,” said Pease. “I’ve protected people from having their rights violated, the environment from being degraded and consumers from being defrauded. We need a city attorney who’s accountable to the people.”