Morning Report: Homebuilding Restarts in County
EM - News Moderator 
This post has been updated.
The leader of the local Building Industry Association declared last year the county was “dead” to developers. She said a policy meant to reduce or mitigate the environmental impact of driving created by new homes had halted homebuilding in areas outside of incorporated cities.
All fixed? County officials declared that particular dilemma resolved at a Board of Supervisors meeting last week. They said a policy shift last year, which essentially exempted projects that match up with county plans from the controversial vehicle miles traveled policy, has been a game changer.
The county has received 29 new project applications that represent nearly 1,100 units from developers hoping to take advantage of that exemption.
Our Lisa Halverstadt reports that developers are pleasantly surprised by the county’s update – and cautiously optimistic.
Countywide Coalition Pushing Half-Cent Sales Tax Hike
There could be two proposals to increase local sales taxes on the November 2026 ballot.
A coalition that includes labor groups, advocates and philanthropists on Friday revealed to Halverstadt that they plan to press forward with a bid to get a countywide half-cent sales tax hike on the ballot. If approved, the measure could raise a projected $360 million a year for yet-to-be-specified causes including health care, public safety, the Tijuana sewage crisis and child care.
The group expects to start collecting signatures next month and will need to gather more than 100,000 valid ones to secure a spot on the ballot.
Reminder: A separate coalition is pushing a one-cent sales tax increase for the city of San Diego for the November 2026 ballot and City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera is making the case for a tax on vacation rentals and second homes.
Politics Report: Nuclear Option
This week in the Politics Report, our exclusive weekly (-ish) newsletter with the inside scoop on local politics, Scott Lewis reports that an effort to repeal the new trash fee has gone from threat to action.
Plus: Airbnb spreads the word it can be a friend or foe to city leaders hoping to close the budget deficit.
Plus plus: Lewis does a short Q&A about city finances with Councilmember Raul Campillo.
The Politics Report is for Voice of San Diego members and they can read it here.
A Young Boy’s Death Sparks Questions About City’s Tree Maintenance
Earlier this month, the family of 4-year-old Ronan Kerr filed a lawsuit against the city of San Diego after a falling eucalyptus branch killed him while he played in the park with his father. The lawsuit also names two city tree service contractors accused of failing to properly maintain the trees.
Prior to the accusations, our Bella Ross was already looking into the dangers of the millions of eucalyptus trees across the city. This led to a conversation with a city forester in late October, who harped on the importance of proper tree maintenance. But since the lawsuit was filed, the city has declined to comment.
The region’s eucalyptus trees took root more than 100 years ago, with new trees rarely planted. It’s a question of whether the city will step up to maintain its trees or yank them out as they get older.
Sacramento Report: A Proposal Bites the Dust (For Now)
Major cities across California continue to crackdown on homelessness after state funding has tightened the budgets of local governments. Despite the budget woes, our Nadia Lathan reports local cities are still hungry for solutions.
After Gov. Gavin Newsom issued guidelines for cities to clear more homeless encampments in May, the city of San Diego entered into an agreement in July that embraced Newsom’s guidelines. It allowed city workers to enter state territory to clear freeway encampments.
Local officials have largely touted its success, though more often than not homeless people quickly move back to cleared areas due to limited shelter space. Still, the agreement spurred SB 569, a bill authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear to allow more California cities to reach similar agreements.
But the bill got tagged with a hefty price tag after Caltrans said it could “create unknown significant cost pressures, potentially in the tens of millions annually.”
Read the Sacramento Report here.
VOSD podcast: The crew goes live with SDSU Athletic Director
If you didn’t have a chance to join us at Soda Bar last week, we’ve got you covered!
The podcast crew sat down with John David Wicker, SDSU athletic director, to chat about all things college athletics and how the school is navigating the world of athlete pay, sports betting and more.
We also talked about those empty seats at Snapdragon Stadium and how Wicker wants to increase season ticket prices for Aztec’s football games. He’s confident County Supervisor Jim Desmond will become a season ticket holder – in spite of his open letter to lower ticket prices.
In Other News
- San Diego is getting rid of free Sunday parking meters and instead offering a $150 permit pass for downtown, uptown and Mid-city residents. The proposal is expected to be considered by the City Council in early 2026. (Union-Tribune)
- San Diego County bought a firefighting helicopter from San Diego Gas and Electric for $31 million. But why did the company own it in the first place? Ratepayer advocates argue that investments to firefighting should be left to fire agencies. (KPBS)
- The San Diego Humane Society celebrated their hippo’s 52nd birthday. Her name is Hannah and she’s the world’s oldest living pygmy hippo living in managed care. (Times of San Diego)
- A neighborhood street in the College Area has become the epicenter for tagging. At least 10 buildings were vandalized and residents say they feel more vulnerable than ever. (NBC 7 San Diego).
- Balboa Park’s tram service will run for extended hours starting next year. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Mariana Martínez Barba and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña and Scott Lewis.
Correction: This post has been updated to correct Jim Desmond’s name.
The post Morning Report: Homebuilding Restarts in County appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
