Democrats on the county Board of Supervisors are exploring how the county could pull in more cash to combat federal cuts coming down the pike.
But getting a countywide tax hike across the finish line won’t be easy – and county-funded polling earlier this year drives that home.
Our Lisa Halverstadt obtained an early 2026 poll showing that county voters aren’t thrilled with the idea of a hypothetical half-cent sales tax hike and are more interested in options that would tax the rich.
Awkwardly, there’s already a countywide half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot and the other options the county poll considered would require changes to state law. Oh, and a majority of the 727 voters polled also aren’t happy with the direction things are going in the county.
About that sales-tax pitch: A spokesperson for the sales-tax campaign argued the polling doesn’t reflect how voters feel about their specific measure, which would bring in an estimated $360 million annually for health care, child care, Tijuana River sewage solutions, public safety and more.
Read the full story here.
County Official Accused of Hit-and-Run Out of County Gov
A county official accused of a fatal hit-and-run no longer works in county government.
County spokesperson Tammy Glenn confirmed that Assmaa Elayyat, deputy director for Self Sufficiency Services, left her county role effective July 17. Glenn declined to elaborate on the circumstances of Elayyat’s departure, describing those details as “confidential personnel information.”
The departure came roughly two months after Elayyat allegedly veered off the road and struck and killed 27-year-old Katie Osorio while she waited at a bus stop in Southcrest. Elayyat then allegedly drove away after her car initially got caught in a tree, only to be arrested by police soon after. Prosecutors later charged Elayyat.
“The county is deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts go out to the family, friends, and all who are grieving during this incredibly difficult time,” Glenn wrote in a statement.
ICYMI: Halverstadt revealed last month that Elayyat was on the clock at the time of the fatal incident.
Chula Vista Council to Mayor: No More Party Planning
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann delivers his State of the City address at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. / Vito Di Stefano for Voice of San Diego
Chula Vista’s City Council wants to keep the mayor from planning the State of the City.
Back in April, Mayor John McCann, threw a lavish State of the City address that featured a video of the mayor jumping out of an airplane, an actual skydiver and McCann dressed in a Tuxedo, Mission Impossible music blaring in the background of his entrance.
Tuesday’s Council meeting revealed that payments for the $28,000 event came at the request of an elected official and from companies that regularly do business with the city – some of which donated directly to McCann’s re-election campaign.
The Council directed staff to draft a proposal stripping the mayor of operational control over the city’s major events. Council members also asked the city attorney to look into the mayor’s charter-defined ceremonial role in such events. This upset McCann.
“I know you are not my ally,” he said, speaking directly to the attorney at the meeting.
McCann was the lone vote against the proposal.
‘‘What’s Your ‘Real San Diegan’ Litmus Test?’’
A Reddit thread earlier this week posed a great question: What references make someone a real San Diegan versus a tourist or poser?
Among the examples offered by the original poster and commenters: calling the zoo’s North County hub the wild animal park rather than the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, how someone pronounces Jamacha, Otay or Kearny (Mesa, that is, on those latter two) and being familiar with the Jack Murphy Stadium.
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In Other News
The La Mesa trolley system could look very different in the coming years as the city reviews two expensive options, proposed by SANDAG, that would either put the city’s Orange line on a platform suspended above the city, or dig tunnels for a below-ground rail. Councilmembers are in no rush to make a call. (KPBS)
After a three-year pause, the city of San Diego has requested to start spraying a deodorizer again to the La Jolla Cove rocks housing the city’s famous sea lions to help dampen the small from the marine wildlife waste. (Times of San Diego)
If you bought a car in Southern California in the last decade with a “Karr Security Systems” on the windshield, your car could be more susceptible to theft, UC San Diego researchers recently found. (KPBS)
Two housing projects, one in Carlsbad, the other in La Mesa, are moving forward despite parking concerns. Both cities objected to state laws they view as overreaching their local authority. (Union-Tribune)
Thinking of adopting a dog? Now’s the time! The San Diego Humane Society has broken its own records for the amount of adult dogs in its care for the past 11 months in a row. Two independent owners this week gave up more than 50 huskies and yorkies to the society. (CBS San Diego)
A man’s recent joyride on a stolen backhoe caused $25,000 in damage after he allegedly crashed it into the North Park Observatory on Wednesday. He’s pleading not guilty to charges of vehicle theft and vandalism. (NBC San Diego)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Fiona Bork. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
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