DANIEL SMITH DIAZ
BACKGROUND
Daniel Smith Diaz has been practicing law for 33 years and is the founder of San Diego Defenders.
“I’ve practiced everything from property law, worked as a prosecutor, a defense attorney. I do both civil and criminal and have done a plethora of cases all my life. My father was a judge, and in very much the same way, he practices in many different areas of law, and my grandfather did as well. I am a third-generation lawyer. It runs in my blood.”
ISSUES
“Harborside Park was all set to reopen. I went to a couple of neighborhood meetings where the neighborhood kids showed up with their parents, and they were adamant that they really needed that park.”
“In reading the Surplus Land Act, I see that affordable housing is important, but the second paragraph of Government Code 54220, states that the Legislature reaffirms its belief that there is an identifiable deficiency in the amount of land available for recreational purposes, and that surplus land prior to its disposition should be made available for recreational purposes.”
Smith Diaz said the interesting fact about that, is that the land dedicated as a park.
“Council tried to roll it into the Surplus Land Act, which is going to raise the question, is this land being made for recreational purposes because there is an identifiable deficiency of land available for parks.
Smith Diaz said the Chula Vista Bayfront, now in development, breaking ground on UniverCity in Millenia, and the building of the first new library since 1995, and space for the city’s first four-year university is “a great thing” for the city.
“I think this is something all of us Chula Vistans are excited about,” he said. “We have all wanted this for a long time. A tech-hub where you can bring in new businesses and get the feel of a college town and college campus. Getting all the technology companies there, students would be coming out of college and working for these entities. I think this is exciting and something that we need. It is a long way from Chula Vista to any four-year university. It would be fantastic to see vocational schools come back. We still need electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters, and good mechanics.”
“I worry about bringing the values of San Diego down to Chula Vista. San Diego has not managed their problems well, and I do not want Chula Vista turn into San Diego. The issue of CA Senate Bill 10 deals with the opt-in program that allows the city to allow up to 10 units to be built on a large residential lot. I think the citizens of Chula Vista need to know what SB10 is all about before Council decides to opt-in or not. I have been in real estate as a real estate salesman and broker. I get it. Real estate investment is important. Housing is important. But, if you put 10 units on a lot where there is no parking, and the only requirement is that you must be one mile from a proposed transit stop is ridiculous. I think the kind of chaos it would cause would be astronomical.”
BART MIESFELD
BACKGROUND
Bart Miesfeld earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering at SDSU and his juris doctor from Cal Western School of Law, graduating magna cum laude, and completed his postgraduate program of instruction at Harvard Law School. He began working for the in the City Attorney’s Office in 1998.
“I worked as a city attorney during the day, then I would go teach law classes at night. I did that from 1998 until I was appointed as Chula Vista city attorney in 2008. I really enjoyed it.”
He served in that capacity until Glen Googins was voted the city’s first elected City Attorney in 2010.Miesfeld left City Hall just before the COVID-19 pandemic to attend to family issues, he said.
ISSUES
Miesfeld said he wants to revitalize the city attorney’s office.
“The office has languished. I want to build that office back up. I spent the last 20 years building that office into a good working machine and I want the opportunity to do that again. Finally, I want to have the projects like the bayfront, the UniverCity project, and the continued build out of our award-winning communities in the eastern territories to continue to run smoothly. To do that, we need someone at the helm of the leadership of the City Attorney’s Office that has the experience on how to do those things.”
Miesfeld said the city attorney can have influence is making sure that city government is transparent and open.
“People have a right to know how their city is being run. We have open meeting laws. We have things like the Brown Act and the Public Records Act that allow the public access and the knowledge of what is going on. But you must work on those things, and you must know those laws relate to the city, including the leaders. I have been doing that for 20 years. I want to make sure that people have full access through these laws because you want to make sure that the interests of the people, not just the city leaders, are represented.”
Miesfeld said the city attorney’s office should be fast and efficient.
“In going around town now, I hear that things get bogged down and that is what slows things down,” he said. “That is what makes people angry at bureaucracy. You must make the city attorney’s office a lean machine that is well-oiled and works efficiently. That ultimately saves taxpayers money and helps policy makers get things done. I am going to ensure that we keep enhancing public safety, that we make the city more effective, and we make sure working families have access to what they need in the community and what is going on with the government.”
BACKGROUND
Marco Verdugo holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from SDSU and a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
“I have advised almost every city department in a large city like San Diego, and I currently advise smaller cities within the county with my law firm of Burke, Williams & Sorensen. The firm serves as city attorney for several cities in California and within San Diego County. I have served as city attorney for Lemon Grove, Solana Beach, and Coronado. I have been advising cities for my entire career since I started in the legal profession. My first internship was at the City of Chula Vista’s City Attorney’s office.
ISSUES
Verdugo said Chula Vista is the “hidden gem” in the county, and one of the chief places where the working class and middle-class families can find an affordable, safe place to live with access to decent schools.
“I want to help keep it that way,” he said. “I have a vested interest in making sure this city continues to be safe, livable, and affordable for our community.”
Verdugo said some of the biggest issues in Chula Vista and the region are housing and homelessness.
“What makes Chula Vista great is the fact that it is affordable for middle-class families,” he said. “As a deputy city attorney in San Diego, I have helped cut through red tape, add and preserve both market rate and affordable housing in San Diego. I will utilize those same approaches in Chula Vista to ensure that we continue to have housing that families can actually afford. I also think homelessness is a top priority and it is important for us that we do not allow San Diego’s homelessness crisis take root here in Chula Vista.”
Verdugo said as a resident, he was directly impacted by the Republic Services Waste Management workers in December 2021.
“The city attorney plays a huge role in every contract that the city enters into. My approach is always a holistic one. One, relying on my background as a lifelong city resident when I am reviewing contracts, but also in making sure that every contract that we enter, that we are looking at potential impacts those contracts have, and ensuring the city is protected if something goes wrong in that contract. I am always making sure we have adequate protections in place in every contract that the city enters to make sure if something does go wrong, or if the person we are contracting with defaults on that contract, that the city is protected and has mechanisms to enforce the contract.”
Verdugo said it is important to him that City Hall is open and transparent for everyone.
“I think that our elected officials, including the city attorney should have an open-door policy and be willing to listen to the constituents they serve.”
