The effort to recall Councilwoman Jen Campbell is becoming official this week. The Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition is being published and Campbell will likely be served over the next few days. Once these procedural elements have been accomplished, the recall effort can begin to officially collect signatures.
The Petition outlines a host of reasons for the recall effort (see below) and ends with, “Councilmember Campbell has betrayed the voters and is unfit for office. Having no other recourse, we the residents of District 2, together with concerned residents throughout the city, have come together to take this action.”
Five fairly prominent and active residents of District 2 have stepped up during this crucial moment and have signed their names to the Petition. They represent every neighborhood of District 2 and include:
- Kevin Hastings – Vice Chair, Ocean Beach Planning Board
- Cathie (Jolley) Umemoto – presently a director on the PB Town Council Board of Directors. Cathie is two-time past President of PBTC and 2019-2020 Honorary Mayor of PB.
- Mandy Havlik – Board Member & Secretary, Peninsula Community Planning Board
- Erin Cullen – Board Member, Clairemont Community Planning Group
- Gary Wonacott – Past President, Mission Beach Town Council
Reasons given for the recall:
“A lot of powerful forces —from business and development interests to labor leaders and the San Diego Police Officers Association —helped [Jennifer Campbell] become council president. Already, lobbyists and political consultants representing some of those interests have met to organize an anti-recall campaign.”- Union-Tribune columnist Michael Smolens, December 23, 2020
Recall of an elected official is very serious and should only be undertaken when it is clear the official has lost the trust of constituents.
- Councilmember Campbell has advocated passage of laws and policies that detrimentally impact the quality of life for all San Diegans.
- She broke promises made to voters when campaigning for office.
- She held closed-door meetings with representatives of special interests like Expedia and SDG&E that seek to take advantage of residents.
- She makes decisions that benefit special interests without input from the community.
- She is pushing legislation to legalize short term vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods in violation of the city’s zoning ordinance, increasing crime, and allowing precious housing stock to be used as lodging for tourists in the midst of a housing crisis.
- She advocated for elimination in the Midway District of the voter-approved 30-foot coastal height limit law–which has protected our coast for over four decades –a developer give-away without providing commensurate public benefits, despite the fact elimination of the height limit was opposed by the majority of District 2 residents.
- She has consistently refused to seek or accept recommendations or advice from community groups, town councils, planning groups and residents, frequently storming out of meetings when residents disagree with her views.