Republican Supe Wants to Make Secret Meetings Public\u00a0<\/p>\n
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County supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Joel Anderson at the Ad Hoc Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Subcommittee meeting at the County Administration Center in downtown San Diego on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. \/ Vito Di Stefano for Voice of San Diego<\/p>\n
Two-person committees of San Diego County supervisors have been meeting behind closed doors for months to hash out potential tactics to respond to expected federal cuts and the Tijuana sewage crisis, among other topics.<\/p>\n
Tensions over the secret nature of these meetings increased last year as one of the committees sought consultants to help pave the way for potential tax hikes.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow, Supervisor Joel Anderson will ask his board colleagues to back his proposal to move those secret subcommittees out into the open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You might be wondering: How are secret meetings allowed? Our Lisa Halverstadt had some questions, too.<\/p>\n
The county said the committees\u2019 advisory nature means they aren\u2019t subject to the state\u2019s open meetings law. But an attorney with the First Amendment Coalition argued the focuses of those subcommittees suggest they should comply with the Brown Act.<\/p>\n
Read the full story here.<\/a><\/p>\n San Diego Water Kings<\/p>\n On tap in this week\u2019s Politics Report: San Diego is officially in the water selling business. Officials reached a deal to sell water to Riverside County and it\u2019s sort of a big deal. <\/p>\n The District 2 San Diego City Council race is one we will be watching closely. Our Politics Report writers attended a forum and came away with some interesting findings about the candidates and the case they will make to voters. <\/p>\n Also: The La Jollans who want to separate from the city of San Diego have a new ally. <\/p>\n Read the Politics Report here. <\/a>Note: The Politics Report is available to Voice of San Diego members only.<\/p>\n Soapy Joe\u2019s Abandons Plan to Expand to Barrio Logan\u00a0<\/p>\n On Friday, a Caltrans spokesperson confirmed that a car wash company had ditched its plan to purchase a property the city incorrectly zoned for commercial use.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last week our city hall reporter, Mariana Mart\u00ednez Barba, revealed that San Diego city planners mistakenly left Chicano Park and another property in Barrio Logan zoned for commercial use<\/a> despite a community plan that designated those sites as parks.<\/p>\n One community member told Mart\u00ednez Barba they found out about the zoning errors when they heard Soapy Joe\u2019s, the car wash company, purchased it. The City Council rushed to correct the errors last week, and now the deal is off.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Boston Avenue site does have a new owner though. Caltrans handed over the property to the city of San Diego, which plans to move forward with plans to break ground on a park in 2029.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sacramento Report: The Push to Rename Cesar Chavez Day<\/p>\n Lawmakers said they will fast-track legislation to rename Cesar Chavez Day following the sexual abuse allegations against the labor activist. Our Nadia Lathan reports that the legislature will work with local governments and school districts to help adopt the change.\u00a0<\/p>\n City leaders across the state, including San Diego, are pledging to change street, park, and library names but the process will likely be slow \u2013 and costly.<\/p>\n Read the Sacramento Report Here.<\/a><\/p>\n VOSD Podcast: The Hardest Conversations for SDPD Chief<\/p>\n It has been nearly two years since Scott Wahl became San Diego top cop.<\/p>\n Our hosts Scott Lewis and Andrea Sanchez-Villafa\u00f1a sat down with Wahl to discuss what the department\u2019s role when it comes to federal immigration enforcement. They also talked about surveillance technology and the changes he\u2019s implemented to reduce overtime.<\/p>\n Listen to the podcast here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Celebrate Women\u2019s History Month<\/p>\n Join us this Thursday, March 26, for our annual Women Leading the Conversation. Mix, mingle and hear from a powerful lineup of women who are Building the Finest City. Get your tickets now before we sell out at vosd.org\/wltc2026<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Other News\u00a0<\/p>\n Cup of Chisme: Read our editor\u2019s guide to Voice of San Diego stories you don\u2019t want to miss. Also, a special dispatch from reporter Lisa Halverstadt. Get the chisme here. <\/a><\/p>\n A federal judge declined a request by county attorneys to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the mother of 29-year-old Abdul Kamara, who died hours after being put in a restraint device. (Union-Tribune<\/a>)<\/p>\n Gas is getting more expensive. San Diegans already pay some of the highest gas prices in the nation, and costs have continued to climb since the conflict in the Middle East began. (KPBS<\/a>)<\/p>\n The county\u2019s plan to open a tiny home shelter in Lemon Grove advanced Friday after a state commission approved the sale of Caltrans property to the county. (Union-Tribune<\/a>)<\/p>\n Spring breakers busted! As crowds begin to fill San Diego\u2019s beaches police are increasing patrols and handing out tickets to enforce alcohol and safety laws. (Fox 5 San Diego<\/a>)<\/p>\n