On Dec. 20, the newly elected City Council voted to appoint the membership assignments on the San Diego Association of Governments. After three motions, the slate was selected, with Mayor John McCann voting no.
Approved for SANDAG board member was Council member Andrea Cardenas, first alternate Council member Carolina Chavez, second alternate Deputy Mayor Jose Preciado, Bayshore Bikeway Committee, Chavez, and Shoreline Preservation Working Group, Preciado.
In public comments, four speakers urged council to select McCann as the primary the SANDAG Board of Directors, stating McCann had the most experience, earned his mayoral seat by opposing the SANDAG mileage tax, and using climate change as a means to get people out of their cars and onto public transit, and other taxes SANDAG initiatives are proposing on citizens. One speaker requested that Council select a representative that supports helping working families with the new regional transportation plan. Four e-comments supported appointing the mayor to the SANDAG Board of Directors.
McCann said historically, the mayor has been appointed to SANDAG.
“I have been an alternate for multiple years as the SANDAG rep. I served multiple times as a representative. And recently, when Mayor Salas was not able to make the SANDAG meeting, I filled in,” he said.
McCann said he was instrumental in purchasing the SR-125 toll road from SANDAG, refinanced the toll road, reduced the tolls, increased the revenue, and working with Salas, created a timeline to get the SR-125 paid off.
“I know what the transportation plan is. I do not agree with everything on it, but I do understand it very well and I am very transparent that I do not support the mileage tax, and I do not support sales increase,” he said. McCann made a motion for the SANDAG board member to be the mayor. First alternate would be Cardenas, second alternative Chavez. Bayshore Bikeway Committee, Chavez, and Shoreline Preservation Working Group, Preciado.
The motion died without a second. McCann immediately made an alternate motion to make the SANDAG board member Cardenas, first alternate mayor, second alternate Chavez, Bayshore Bikeway Committee, Chavez, and Shoreline Preservation Working Group, Preciado.
Preciado motioned that the SANDAG board member go to Cardenas, Chavez as the first alternate, and himself as the second alternate.
“For those of us who have been involved in regional governance for a while, we know that SANDAG changed dramatically with the adoption of AB 805. In fact, in the past with the small mayors, with many of the small mayors and small cities basically dominated in the voting process how we invested the TransNet and some of these things. I think Chula Vista, unfortunately did not do as well as the small cities and had more influence,” he said. “I am very interested in working with the mayor to develop a regional policy that we all can support. That we can all trust.”
Preciado’s motion carried with McCann voting no.
