Are San Diego City Council committee assignments ‘divisive?’

Some important management adjustments are coming to San Diego’s Metropolis Council committees, the place new laws and insurance policies get debated and formed earlier than reaching the total council for approval.

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is rising the variety of committees from eight to 9 and assigning new leaders to arguably the 2 strongest ones: public security and price range.

The rise to 9 committees permits every of the council’s 9 members — all Democrats — to chair their very own committee, together with incoming Councilmember Kent Lee, who will lead the Lively Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Elo-Rivera is creating the extra committee by splitting the Public Security and Livable Neighborhoods Committee into two separate panels — Public Security, and Neighborhood and Neighborhood Providers.

Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe, who has led that committee the final two years, will take over the one committee thought of extra highly effective: Finances and Authorities Effectivity. That committee was led final yr by Councilmember Chris Cate, who couldn’t run for re-election due to time period limits.

Councilmember Marni von Wilpert will take over the Public Security half of Montgomery Steppe’s former committee, whereas Councilmember Jennifer Campbell will take over the Neighborhood and Neighborhood Providers half.

Von Wilpert stated she was honored to take over such an vital committee, itemizing her early priorities as fentanyl overdoses, wildfire prevention and poor emergency response occasions by the town’s new ambulance supplier.

She praised Montgomery Steppe for main the committee “with endurance and with poise and with kindness regardless of all that was thrown at her.”

However von Wilpert forged the lone “no” vote in opposition to the committee assignments when the council authorized them 8-1 Thursday.

She criticized Elo-Rivera for enjoying politics by giving his closest allies on the council 5 committee assignments every, whereas leaving different members three assignments every.

Council members with solely three assignments embrace von Wilpert, Campbell and Stephen Whitburn, who will lead the comparatively low-profile Audit Committee for a second consecutive yr.

That trio is a part of a free four-member voting bloc, together with Councilmember Raul Campillo, that’s typically at odds with a separate four-member bloc of Elo-Rivera, Montgomery Steppe, Joe LaCava and Vivian Moreno.

“I do know politics is tough and tumble, and I do know politics will be form of a bloodsport,” stated von Wilpert. “But it surely doesn’t need to be that manner. I anticipate extra from myself than that, and I do know that individuals who reside in our metropolis depend on us to guide and need extra from us than that.”

She complained in regards to the uneven numbers of committee assignments and stated a few of Elo-Rivera’s choices will “sideline” proficient staffers.

“That is the form of divisive management that I believed we had been going to get away from,” von Wilpert stated.

Elo-Rivera, who will proceed to guide the council’s Guidelines Committee, stated he appears to be like ahead to a extremely productive yr, including that he believes the assignments match the talent units and pursuits of the council’s members.

LaCava will stay chair of the council’s Atmosphere Committee, Moreno will stay chair of Land Use and Housing, and Campillo will stay chair of Financial Growth and Intergovernmental Relations.

The council additionally authorized Mayor Todd Gloria’s appointments of council members to regional boards, together with Elo-Rivera to serve on the board of the San Diego Affiliation of Governments and Whitburn, Elo-Rivera and Montgomery Steppe for the Metropolitan Transit System’s board of administrators.