MAYOR, COUNCIL SEATS UP FOR VOTE IN SAN MARCOS
4 running in District 2; Councilmember Nunez unopposed in District 1
City Councilmember Randy Walton is vying to replace Rebecca Jones as the mayor of San Marcos while four candidates are running for Walton’s seat representing District 2 in the Nov. 8 election.
Incumbent Maria Nunez is running unopposed in the District 1 race.
Elected terms for all seats are four years and pay a monthly salary of $977, plus a car allowance of $300. Elected officials also are eligible for medical benefits and may receive stipends from outside agency boards they sit on.
Jones was elected mayor in 2018 and has served on the City Council since 2007. She is endorsed by two firefighter unions, the Deputy Sheriff ’s Association of San Diego County, Latino American Political Association, North San Diego County Association of Realtors and the Lincoln Club of San Diego County,
Walton has served on the City Council since 2018 and previously served 10 years as a San Marcos Unified School District trustee. He is endorsed by fellow City Councilmember Maria Nunez, county Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer, Nathan Fletcher and Nora Vargas, the San Diego County Democratic Party, U.S. Reps. Scott Peters, Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs, among several other groups and people.
In an interview and at public forums, Jones has said she stands out because of her institutional knowledge about city government.
“I have been on the council for 16 years,” she said. “I know the history of the city and what works and what doesn’t work. You have three council members on the council four years or less.”
Walton sees traffic and housing costs as some of the top challenges in the city, and he said things have not improved under Jones’ leadership.
“Rebecca has been an elected leader in San Marcos for 16 years, and traffic has never been worse,”
he said. “Housing affordability has never been worse. And we’re not acting quick enough on issues about the environment and climate.”
The two differ on what should be done about the issues and their views on the city’s success so far.
Jones said the city is doing well with affordable housing and noted that San Marcos has 2,300 deed-restricted affordable units, with 630 opened during her time on the council.
Walton said deed-restrictive units are important, but do not help many people in the city’s workforce who earn too much to qualify for the housing, but not enough to buy market-rate homes or pay monthly rent. As a result, many young people are leaving the city, and some businesses are struggling to find employees.
The two also differ on how to address housing. Walton said the city must increase density, developers should build smaller units, and there should be limits on investor groups that buy properties, fix them up and flip them, meaning they’re sold at a higher price.
Jones said higher density developments can be appropriate in places like North City near CSU San Marcos, but not in residential neighborhoods, and she doesn’t like government housing mandates.
She also doesn’t think the city should prevent investor groups from flipping, and she said sometimes they provide an advantage to buyers because some people may not be able to afford to fix up homes themselves.
“I’m sorry, but that’s the free market,” she said.
Candidates in District 2 are dentist Ambreen Ahmed, retired Escondido city administrator and former San Marcos City Councilmember Jay Petrek, Marine veteran and assistant commandant at the Carlsbad Army and Navy Academy Lionel Saulsberry and Vallecitos Water District Board Member Mike Sannella.
Ahmed has no endorsements and does not have a campaign website other than a Facebook page, where she states she opposed a road-usage tax once proposed by the San Diego Association of Governments that has since been withdrawn.
As a volunteer with the San Marcos Community Foundation for the past two years, Ahmed said she is driven to do more to help city residents.
As a council member, Ahmed said she would look into ways the city could create more affordable housing, and she has some ideas about how to improve traffic on city streets.
“In different countries and in big cities, you see roundabouts,” she said. “I think that’s something we should incorporate more.”
She also suggests creating flyovers, or roads over stretches of roads with high traffic, and sees Nordahl Road at state Route 78 as one location it could benefit.
Sannella, endorsed by the Deputy Sheriff ’s Association and the Lincoln Club, said he agrees with Jones about keeping building control local rather than subject to state mandates, and said the city must balance the need for more density with its impact on the community.
He sees his experience on the Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors as valuable in helping the city make efficient and impactful decisions.
“At Vallecitos, I have a track record of ensuring that the district always has a solid reserve in place for emergency situations, and I believe that the city should have one as well,” he said. “Everything we do should be looked at through the lens of the taxpayers and make sure we’re getting the most bang for the buck.”
A security manager with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Sannella said public safety is his top priority, and said he would address traffic issues by looking for opportunities where technology can help and ensure the city has funds to improve infrastructure.
Saulsberry lists no endorsements on his website and said he is running because he wants to help the city.
“I feel like I can’t live in San Marcos and not be a part of it,” he said, adding that he wants to listen to the community and work on their concerns.
Saulsberry sees transportation and housing costs as major issues in the city.
“I know there’s some concerns about homes being built, but that’s something that’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s just a matter of making sure that the homes being built in San Marcos actually fit San Marcos.”
He also sees homelessness as an issue, and said there needs to be more education in the community about its cause.
“How do we reach them, and how do we find different avenues to support them?” he said.
Petrek, endorsed by the San Diego Democratic Party, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, the Sierra Club San Diego chapter and other groups and people, is aligned with Walton’s views on housing and also has the council member’s endorsement.
A retired community development director and assistant city manager for Escondido, Petrek was appointed to the San Marcos City Council in 2018 and served for two years but could not continue in the position because of redistricting.
During his campaign in the city, Petrek said he has learned that housing and traffic are top concerns. Like Walton, he said the city should be encouraging higher density and smaller units to make homes more affordable.
His website lists public safety, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, sustainability and economic development among his top priority.
“The reason I want to serve on the City Council is I love this community and I believe I could bring a unique perspective based on my city administration experience, community involvement and understanding of city government,” he said.