My Platforms
I grew up in District 2, went to school here, and want to raise a family here; but the city is becoming less livable for working people my age. Though I am only an energetic 28 years old, I’ve been on my own since 21, paying rent, health insurance, juggling jobs in science and construction, running a small Etsy shop, and facing everyday hits like expensive groceries and surprise repair costs. My background, a BS in Chemistry from PLNU, ongoing MBA, hands-on efficiency improvements at Abbott and GeneGoCell, taught me how to spot waste and deliver results. I’m running to restore hope for all people trying to make a life in San Diego. Lower costs, stronger accountability, presence in the community, and a government that actually works for residents. No headlines, just competence and commitment.
Housing: Protect Neighborhoods While Building Stability
District 2's housing crisis affects everyone from renters in Mission Beach facing skyrocketing costs to homeowners in Point Loma worried about overdevelopment. My goal: Make housing serve residents first, not investors, by leveraging Council's land-use powers.
Crack Down on Short-Term Rental Abuse: Short-term rentals (under 30 days) have removed thousands of units from the long-term market, driving up rents. I'll propose ordinances to strengthen enforcement, cap non-owner-occupied rentals in residential zones, and prioritize coastal protections under existing city rules. This could include tighter permitting in high-tourism areas like Mission Beach, while allowing limited owner-occupied options to support locals.
Enforce ADU Standards to Prevent Exploitation: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are great for "mom and pop" homeowners adding family space, but investor-driven "ADU slums" lead to overcrowding, safety issues, and infrastructure strain. Using Council's zoning authority, I'll push for ordinances enforcing habitability standards, occupancy limits, lot-size caps, and utility/parking requirements, without violating state preemption. This keeps ADUs viable for families while stopping abuse.
Reduce Red Tape for Responsible Development: Delays in permitting hurt small-scale infill and repairs. I'll advocate for budget allocations to streamline processes, like faster reviews for family-sized units (2-3 bedrooms), ensuring transparency and predictability.
Why This Matters in District 2: Our district's beach communities and suburban mix need balanced growth. These measures use Council's legislative and budgetary tools to lower costs without density mandates that ignore local input.
Homelessness: Compassion with Accountability and Results
San Diego County's homelessness dropped 7% in the 2025 count to 9,905 people (from 10,605 in 2024), but visible encampments persist amid $105 million FY 2026 city spending and state cuts to Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding. Veteran homelessness decreased 25%, and family unsheltered homelessness plummeted 72%, per Regional Task Force on Homelessness data, but chronic cases rose due to funding shortfalls.
What lies within my powers as a Councilmember: Council approves budgets for shelters, outreach, and programs (e.g., $87 million to Homelessness Strategies in FY 2026), enacts ordinances like the Unsafe Camping ban, requests audits of initiatives, and allocates funds for partnerships. Oversight includes tying grants to metrics, holding hearings, and advocating for state/federal resources.
Prioritize Help for Those Ready to Engage: Expand safe parking lots with sanitation, security, and on-site services for vehicle dwellers looking for work or housing. I'll allocate budget funds for transitional programs tied to case management, using Council's authority to partner with nonprofits.
Audit and Reform Programs: Demand independent audits of all homelessness initiatives (e.g., via the City Auditor's office) to cut inefficient spending and measure outcomes like housing placements. Redirect savings to proven efforts, like healthcare access for those actively seeking treatment not blanket giveaways.
Enforce Public Safety Laws Humanely: Public drug use and dangerous encampments in tourist areas like Ocean Beach harm livability. I'll support ordinances empowering police with clear rules for enforcement, including non-criminal relocations coordinated with outreach. No charges for minor offenses, but zero tolerance for threats to public spaces.
Why This Matters in District 2: Our coastal Culture relies on safe, clean, relaxing neighborhoods. These steps use Council's oversight and legislative powers to balance compassion with accountability, reducing visible homelessness without punitive overreach.
Livability: Make Everyday Life Easier
From potholes in Clairemont to parking chaos in Midway, basic services are failing. I'll focus Council's budgetary and oversight roles on street-level fixes.
Infrastructure and Repairs: Allocate more budget to timely road/sidewalk fixes and traffic calming. Cut red tape by proposing ordinance reforms for faster permitting.
Parking and Enforcement Reform: Reduce excessive fees, remove excessive parking fees for public spaces without robust public transit through budget adjustments and policy changes, ensuring fairness for residents.
Quality-of-Life Enforcement: Strengthen safety, cleanliness, and public space rules via ordinances, especially in high-density areas like Mission Beach.
Why This Matters in District 2: Our mixed neighborhoods demand responsive government. These use Council's tools to deliver tangible wins.
Energy and Cost of Living: Lower Burdens Responsibly
San Diego residents face some of the highest utility rates in the country, with SDG&E delivery charges rising again in 2026 (adding ~$4/month for typical electric bills and ~$2 for gas, on top of prior increases). Families in District 2, especially in Clairemont's suburban homes and Point Loma's coastal properties are squeezed by time-of-use pricing, wildfire mitigation costs, and grid upgrades passed through to ratepayers.
What lies within my powers as a Councilmember: Council approves the city's franchise agreement with SDG&E (currently a 10-year deal from 2021, with extension options and opt-out clauses), negotiates terms via the Energy Cooperation Agreement, influences budget allocations for energy programs, and provides oversight through quarterly utility presentations, audits, and advocacy to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Council can push for transparency in rate impacts, require performance metrics on efficiency programs, and allocate city funds for local incentives or pilots.
What I would do differently: The current approach has allowed steady rate hikes with limited pushback, focusing on wildfire hardening and grid reliability while residents absorb costs without enough offsets for low-usage households. I would prioritize aggressive oversight:
Demand more frequent, detailed audits of SDG&E's franchise performance and rate justifications during Council presentations, highlighting inefficiencies (e.g., executive compensation vs. ratepayer relief).
Advocate for stronger terms in any franchise extension discussions, including mandatory rebates or credits for underserved areas and faster rollout of community solar/shared clean energy options.
Propose budget incentives for home solar permitting/streamlining and pilot programs for portable/resilience solar (e.g., emergency backup for coastal outages in Mission Beach/Point Loma).
Push for city-led pressure on CPUC/CCA programs (like San Diego Community Power) to expand low-income protections and avoid disproportionate burdens on working families.
Why This Matters in District 2: Coastal homes face unique resilience needs (e.g., storm/outage risks), while suburban Clairemont households need predictable bills. These steps use Council's tools to shift from passive acceptance of hikes toward proactive cost mitigation and local clean energy access.
Public Safety: Pro-Safety, Pro-Accountability
District 2 deserves safe streets, beaches, and neighborhoods, from Point Loma's family areas to Mission Beach's tourist zones, but unchecked surveillance erodes trust and potentially, constitutional rights. Recent debates (e.g., 2025 Council vote to continue ~500 automated license plate readers/ALPRs despite privacy concerns) highlight tensions between crime solving tools and data misuse risks.
What lies within my powers as a Councilmember: Council approves/reviews surveillance use policies under the TRUST Ordinance, votes on police budgets and technology procurements, requires audits/hearings on tools like ALPRs/facial recognition, and sets enforcement standards via ordinances. Council can impose strict data policies, ban certain tech, mandate transparency reports, and tie funding to accountability metrics.
What I would do differently: The current majority has reauthorized ALPRs (e.g., December 2025 vote) with some safeguards but amid ongoing concerns about data sharing, hacking vulnerabilities, and potential federal overreach. Enforcement often feels reactive rather than balanced. I would emphasize proactive accountability:
Require rigorous, independent audits of all surveillance tech (including ALPRs and any AI tools) before reauthorization, focusing on data retention limits, sharing prohibitions, and equity impacts.
Propose ordinances banning facial recognition outright (as Council has authority to restrict procurement/use) and strengthening ALPR rules e.g., no routine federal sharing, mandatory deletion timelines, and public dashboards for usage stats.
Support clear, coordinated enforcement standards for quality-of-life issues (e.g., public drug use, encampments) that pair police action with outreach/services, ensuring humane implementation without over-policing.
Allocate budget for training/community liaisons to build trust, prioritizing prevention over mass data collection.
Why This Matters in District 2: Beach and tourist areas need visible safety, but residents value privacy and fairness. This uses Council's oversight and legislative powers to enhance real security while protecting civil liberties. I’ll be different from the status quo's continuation of broad surveillance without enough checks.
Efficient Government: Audit, Cut Waste, Deliver Results
San Diego faces recurring deficits (e.g., projected $110M+ gaps in 2026), with ongoing debates over spending priorities amid cuts to services like parks/libraries. Waste and lack of transparency erode trust, especially when audits reveal inefficiencies but reforms lag.
What lies within my powers as a Councilmember: Council approves the budget, directs the independent City Auditor's office (via the Audit Committee), requests specific audits/hearings, mandates performance metrics for programs, and oversees transparency in spending/contracts. Council can redirect funds, cut ineffective programs, and require data-driven reporting.
What I would do differently: Current processes rely on the Auditor's reports and Independent Budget Analyst but often face resistance to deep cuts or reforms (e.g., Auditor pushing back against his own office's budget reductions). Oversight feels inconsistent, with deficits growing despite rhetoric. I would make accountability routine and aggressive:
Prioritize and expand Auditor-directed reviews (e.g., using my Accounting knowledge for regular deep dives into high-spend areas like homelessness, utilities, and infrastructure to identify waste/fraud/abuse.)
Tie budget approvals to measurable outcomes (e.g., no continued funding for programs without proven results), redirecting savings to core services like roads and neighborhood safety.
Push for full transparency: public dashboards on spending, honest data use (no selective stats), and protections against fee/tax burdens on working families/small businesses.
Advocate for structural reforms via Council committees, like stronger internal controls and community input on priorities.
Why This Matters in District 2: Residents pay high taxes/fees but see uneven results in basics like infrastructure and services. This leverages Council's core budgetary/oversight role to cut waste systematically, different from the current cycle of deficits and partial fixes, restoring trust and efficiency.