Jacob Mitchell

Infrastructure / Transportation Create accelerated pathways for projects that improve livability, sidewalk fixes, traffic calming, and small-scale infrastructure. Housing Enforce strict limits modeled after leading cities to return units to the long-term market. Infrastructure / Transportation Shift budget priorities toward roads, sidewalks, drainage, and core maintenance before expanding programs. Environment / Energy Use Council authority to demand more frequent and detailed audits of SDG&E’s performance under the franchise agreement Require clear breakdowns of rate increases and where funds are actually going. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Support consistent, humane enforcement of laws around unsafe encampments and public drug use. Pair enforcement with real alternatives, shelter, services, and relocation options. Environment / Energy Support faster permitting and incentives for home solar adoption. Taxes / Budget Redirect money toward infrastructure, frontline workers, and services people actually use. Social Services Track real outcomes: long-term housing placements, returns to homelessness, and cost per success, not just services delivered. Legislation San Diego’s current ALPR and Smart Streetlight use policies say facial recognition will not be used with those systems. I would go further and support a clear city ban on procurement or use of facial recognition for public safety purposes. Taxes / Budget Every major program should justify itself with measurable results. If it is not working, it gets fixed, cut, or replaced. Housing Expand beyond ADUs into true small scale multi-unit housing. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Require independent audits of ALPRs, Smart Streetlights, and any AI assisted surveillance before reauthorization. Review data retention, outside access, sharing practices, cybersecurity, and whether the tool is actually producing measurable public safety benefits. Housing Commission 10–20 pre-approved duplex/triplex/fourplex designs that fit neighborhood character (coastal, urban, suburban). Housing Prioritize primary residence use, not investor portfolios. Taxes / Budget Increase funding for the City Auditor instead of cutting it, and use that office aggressively to save the city money. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Put more emphasis on training, community facing policing, and transparency instead of relying on mass data collection as a shortcut. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Push stricter local limits on data access, shorter deletion timelines where legally feasible, and clear public reporting on use, hits, and outcomes. Oppose routine expansion of data sharing beyond what state law and local policy require. California’s SB 34 already sets rules for ALPR sharing, and the city should be more restrictive where it can be. Taxes / Budget Audit high-spend, high-failure areas like homelessness, infrastructure delivery, contract management, and administrative overhead. Social Services Create a public, standardized scorecard to track results for every city funded homelessness program. Taxes / Budget Public dashboards for spending, contracts, project delivery, and program outcomes. Infrastructure / Transportation Reform permitting for repairs, small upgrades, and safety improvements to reduce delays. Environment / Energy Pilot small-scale resilience solutions such as portable or backup solar for outage prone areas Expand access to community solar and shared energy programs so renters and lower-income households can participate. Social Services Different populations need different solutions: families, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals require different strategies. Shift away from blanket program funding toward targeted, outcome-driven approaches. Housing Focus on ownership pathways, not just large rental supply (Midway rising). Social Services Expand safe parking and structured transitional programs for people actively trying to stabilize and return to housing. Pair shelter and transitional spaces with case management, job placement, and treatment access. Focus resources on pathways that move people off the street long-term. Taxes / Budget Require a clear, unified report of total homelessness spending across all departments and partners. Use the City Auditor to regularly review programs, contracts, and outcomes. Infrastructure / Transportation Prioritize neighborhoods with consistent infrastructure complaints, Clairemont, Midway, coastal corridors. Housing Shift incentives toward local builders, homeowners, and small investors. Housing Adapt a model similar to Austin’s very effective HOME reforms: allow duplexes, triplexes, and small multi-unit homes on existing residential lots. Housing Remove discretionary approvals for compliant projects, that normal residents can develop. If it meets the rules, it gets built. Housing Reduce “soft costs” (fees, delays, consultant requirements) that make small projects impossible. Housing Publish permitting timelines and bottlenecks for accountability. Housing Reduce reliance on density bonuses and negotiated concessions that favor large developers. Taxes / Budget Audit middle management growth and pension-heavy administrative layers. Infrastructure / Transportation Address parking, congestion, and safety issues with practical fixes, not blanket policies. Housing Set hard deadlines for permit review and approvals.