SAN DIEGO, CA --  Mayor Kevin Faulconer has indicated he plans to ask the City Council to approve a special election to expand the Convention Center in defiance of Measure L, which mandates that local measures be voted on during the general elections, when the most people vote.

Recent news reports say that Faulconer plans to push for a special election for April of 2019 -- and could ask city council to vote to approve it soon -- under the pretext of needing to act quickly to address homelessness. It should be noted that the mayor and city council can act now to address homelessness by appropriating the required funds.

Andrea Guerrero, Executive Director of Alliance San Diego Mobilization Fund, said the following:

“The proponents of the convention center measure had an opportunity to qualify their initiative for the 2018 ballot, but that opportunity has now passed. Their next opportunity is in 2020.

We call on the city council to listen to the will of the voters, two-thirds of whom voted in 2016 to limit local ballot measures to the regularly scheduled general elections when the most people vote. While the mayor might ignore the voters and continue to insist on a special election - this would mark the third attempt to call for a special election since Measure L was passed less than two years ago - the city council must reject these misguided actions and honor the will of the voters.

We should not mistake political expediency for a real emergency. If the mayor and city council are serious about addressing homelessness, they should not wait. They can act now by allocating resources through the budget process at the mid-year budget review. That would be an example of good governance.”

About

Alliance San Diego Mobilization Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that seeks to expand the opportunity for all San Diego residents, especially marginalized residents, to reach their full potential by increasing their participation in our democracy, our economy, and our society.  

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