Today, the City Council will wrap up our week of Budget Review Committee meetings, and I wanted to give you a quick update on what I’ve been fighting for. Bottom line: we have to make smart choices for our city’s future. That’s why I’ve been advocating to preserve funding for the core services and the fundamental priorities that keep District 7 and our entire city strong: public safety, infrastructure, and local economic progress and job creation.

Our neighborhoods deserve repaired roads, reliable police and fire response times, and a thriving local economy — and I’m committed to protecting those investments, even when the budget gets tight.

That’s why I made it very clear that we should not cut the police and fire department budgets whatsoever, we need to spend more money on significant brush clearing, we need to get to paving our very worst roads, and we need to stand up for treasured District 7 community amenities like Lake Murray.

The proposed closure of the 270 parking spots and bathrooms on the south side of the lake on weekdays would push people, bikes, and cars to the north side of the lake, into the San Carlos neighborhood. While we must ultimately find ways to balance our budget, the shuttering of a key community amenity to provide savings of only $414k is not the right way to do it. I am going to fight against this closure for as long as I have to.

This week, I had the privilege of joining local entrepreneurs and community leaders at the Small Business Success Summit to celebrate National Small Business Week. As Chair of the Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee, I know that small businesses are the backbone of our local economy — creating jobs, building community, and driving innovation right here in San Diego.

One of my favorite parts of our work is making city services more accessible to you. That’s why we started our “How Do I” series — short videos showing how to use city services, like reporting brush management issues, filing a pothole report, or in this week’s case, submitting public comment.

Though the video is framed around this week’s budget hearings, the info applies to submitting public comment in general, and will continue to be useful as the Council considers budget revisions and many other important priorities in the future. View the video here!

San Diego’s craft beer scene continues to shine — and I’m especially proud that one of our very own District 7 breweries took home gold at the 2025 Brewers Cup of California! Hodad’s Brewing Co., which is headquartered in Serra Mesa, earned top honors for their American-Style Brown Ale, “Throwback.” I want to congratulate their entire team for their impressive work.

With over 1,300 entries from across the state, it’s no small feat to come out on top. Hodad’s win is a reminder that great things are brewing right here in D7 — and I’ll continue doing everything I can to support our small businesses, foster local pride, and make Serra Mesa and all our neighborhoods places where creativity and community thrive.