SAN DIEGO — The public got a chance to hear from four of the candidates challenging Todd Gloria for San Diego Mayor.
The candidates faced off in a forum Thursday night where they focused on the housing crisis, infrastructure and more.
“I voted for Todd Gloria in the past and I regret it. I want to hear someone else who has better ideas about how to deal with homelessness and the housing crisis," said resident Laura Cole.
Jane Glasson, Geneviéve Jones-Wright, Daniel Smiechowski, and Larry Turner met face to face with the public to address the critical issues facing the City of San Diego.
The candidates answered a wide variety of questions from the audience, including how they plan to improve city infrastructure.
“This is just one of the basic things of running a city government. This is just city management 101 is infrastructure and basic," said candidate Larry Turner.
“We have to care about every single community that makes up our San Diego community. That we invest in every single community, because when we don’t, we see the devastation that we saw three weeks ago," said challenger Geneviéve Jones-Wright.
"The willpower will be there in our administration to redo the pump stations in our older neighborhoods and redo the infrastructure," said candidate Daniel Smiechowski.
“I think that this should be city-wide where we care about all parts of the city," said candidate Jane Glasson.
None of the candidates support a tax to fund infrastructure repairs and new construction, which San Diego City Council is considering and may put on the November ballot.
Among the questions asked, is whether the candidates support SB 10, a controversial high-density bill.
“Residential neighborhoods will remain residential neighborhoods," said Smiechowski.
“There’s a reason why you should not be able to turn a single-family zone residence into a multi-family dwelling place. I believe community members must have a say," added Jones-Wright.
“Now you have 30 or more people living in your neighborhood – no parking, of course. And the electric grid, the plumbing, all of that is not up to speed to support that many people in a neighborhood," said Turner.
“I oppose SB 10, and residential neighborhoods need to be respected," said Glasson.
They also discussed how they plan to address the cost of utilities, which are among the highest in the country.
“One out of four San Diegans cannot afford to pay their gas and electric bill," said Jones-Wright.
"Being with these bills for our power, we got to find another way around this," said Turner.
“I don’t like the fact that SDGE wants to look a people's income," added Glasson.
All four candidates say they believe the city should do more to keep our canyons and surrounding communities safe from fire risks.
They all agreed that there is a migrant crisis in our region and said the city must take steps to address the problem without jeopardizing the citizens of San Diego.
On bike lanes, the candidates also agreed that the city should seek the approval of communities before building them and they're unsure whether they are good for the environment.
When asked what they thought about Mayor Gloria being absent from tonight’s forum, the candidates did not hold back.
“We need a leader who can stand the test of fire, that’s what a real leader does," said Jones-Wright.
“I don’t understand why he hasn’t been to any forums," said Glasson.
“He owes you as the folks, he’s your mayor, he’s our mayor," said Turner.
“Todd Gloria knows that he will lose the election," said Smiechowski.
The forum was hosted by Neighbors for a Better San Diego and was moderated by the League of Women Voters of San Diego.
The primary election is March 5.
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