After being sworn into a second term as District 1 council member and as San Diego City Council’s new president, Joe LaCava spoke of the City Council’s uniting to confront a variety of challenging issues lying ahead for the City in 2025.

“With this role comes great responsibility,” said LaCava who represents Pacific Beach and La Jolla noting the council’s role is to “deliver the services that you ask of us equitably, transparently and with accountability.”

The new council president said he would not try to mask the fact that the financial outlook with a budget shortfall for the City in FY 2025-26 “Leaves the council and mayor decisions that impact staffing, infrastructure, services, and programs. These are the same services that, over the past two years, we have successfully and responsibly been restoring from historic understaffing so that we can deliver the services San Diegans expect: public safety, roads, parks, libraries, homeless service,s and more. And on top of that, good incremental progress on the climate and affordability housing crises.”

LaCava added the City will now have to “stretch our limited dollars further than ever. This will not be easy.”

But together, LaCava said he and his colleagues will “approach this as a unified council ready to voice our expectations, take down public input, and act on solutions. The unified voice of the council that utilizes the strength, experience, and expertise of each of us on the council. A strong unified voice that recognizes the historic disparities of the City, recognizing that an inequitable approach to the budget risks leaving many San Diegans further behind.”

“We as a council need a strong voice that unifies us,” LaCava concluded adding, “Whether we as a council, collectively or individually, dig deep on an issue or process, it is not adversarial. It’s working as a team to deliver the best possible services. Every facet of the City has to have this approach to be successful.”

LaCava also pointed out it is essential for the City to “repair our roads, storm drains, streetlights, parks, dams, and piers, as well as mitigate the harmful effects of climate change and instill resilient measures over our coast, watersheds, and drainages in our most vulnerable communities. And we must train and employ a workforce that is afforded a wage to live in San Diego.”

The council president concluded noting “This chamber is open to those who have historically felt excluded and unheard. City hall is open to all San Diegans. Now is the time for San Diegans to all stand up for each other, listen to our neighbors and communities, and respond with a strong unified voice. I look forward to the year ahead.”

In a Q&A with the media following his remarks, La Cava fielded numerous questions. Regarding how the council will deal with the rapidly rising cost of living, La Cava said: “It’s a very tough conversation. The purpose of (failed) Measure E (which would have raised the City’s sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75%, generating an additional $400 million annually) was to find a way that was going to tackle looming budget deficits. Not only is it expensive for our residents and our businesses, but it’s also expensive for the City to conduct its business. And that will be the delicate balance because people expect us to deliver City services and what we’re going to try to do is balance the budget and still deliver those services. Realistically, some of those services will have to be cut to balance that budget.”

Asked to compare his approach to leading the City Council with his immediate predecessor as council president, Sean Elo-Rivera, LaCava noted: “I think you’ll find a lot of similarities. He made some changes as to how the council operated. I was right there with him. I think those have been good changes.

“I don’t anticipate any significant changes in how the council conducts its business. He has come from an advocacy background. I came from a consulting background. We’ve made a good match, each with our different strengths working well together. Inevitably, you’ll see me be a little bit different running the council meetings. But, when you look at the bigger picture, you won’t see much difference.”