San Diego City Council Sues LAFCO Over La Jolla Cityhood Signatures

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City council deliberation on La Jolla cityhood efforts.

News Summary

The San Diego City Council has initiated legal action against LAFCO concerning the signature verification process for La Jolla’s attempt at cityhood. Mayor Todd Gloria emphasizes significant discrepancies in how signatures were reviewed, asserting that LAFCO’s actions jeopardize the integrity of the verification process. The lawsuit aims to clarify the public processes involved and ensure accountability from LAFCO. With future steps pending from the Association for the City of La Jolla, the cityhood initiative seeks to reshape governance in La Jolla, potentially targeting the 2028 ballot.

San Diego City Council Initiates Legal Action Against LAFCO Over La Jolla Secession Signature Challenges

The San Diego City Council has authorized a legal challenge against the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) over its handling of the signature verification process concerning La Jolla’s push for cityhood. This action comes in response to LAFCO’s approval of the Association for the City of La Jolla (ACLJ) after previously declaring the group’s initial efforts insufficient due to invalid signatures.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has indicated that the City Attorney’s Office will be tasked with pursuing this litigation, which aims to address what the mayor describes as significant discrepancies in the verification of signatures. Gloria views the integrity of the signature verification process as undermined and believes LAFCO’s actions set a concerning precedent.

Initial Signature Submission Process

The ACLJ submitted its petition for La Jolla’s secession to LAFCO on January 29. As part of the effort to achieve cityhood, the organization raised over $100,000 to support associated costs. The initial deadline for collecting signatures concluded on December 1, culminating in nearly 8,000 signatures from registered voters in La Jolla.

However, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters initially ruled that the ACLJ did not meet the necessary threshold due to the presence of invalid signatures. Subsequently, LAFCO granted the ACLJ additional time to address the invalid signatures, which led to a successful campaign aiming to validate enough support for the cityhood bid.

Concerns Raised by Mayor Gloria

Mayor Gloria has raised concerns regarding LAFCO’s decision-making process. He has described their review methods as “outrageous” and highlighted potential flaws in the verification of voter data and addresses. The mayor emphasizes that the litigation seeks to ensure transparency in public processes, hold LAFCO accountable for its decisions, and reaffirm the Registrar’s initial conclusion that the group fell short in collecting sufficient valid signatures.

Future Steps for the ACLJ

Should the required number of signatures not be validated, the ACLJ will have a 15-day window in March to either collect more valid signatures or correct any discrepancies found in the existing submissions. Following LAFCO’s subsequent approval of the ACLJ’s petition, the proposed cityhood measure would ultimately require majority support from both La Jolla voters and the broader San Diego community through a public vote.

The ACLJ had ambitions to place the cityhood initiative on the ballot for 2026. However, in light of recent developments, the focus has now shifted to positioning the effort for the 2028 ballot. If successful, La Jolla’s proposed boundaries for cityhood would mainly correspond with the 92037 ZIP code, while excluding areas such as UC San Diego and Scripps Memorial Hospital.

Background on the Cityhood Effort

The ACLJ’s initiative for La Jolla’s cityhood began in 2021 and has included extensive community engagement and public forums to gather local support. A financial feasibility analysis commenced in September 2022 to further demonstrate the feasibility of La Jolla’s transformation into an independent city. As developments continue in this legal and political arena, the ACLJ aims to solidify the community’s desire for self-governance.