By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 17, 2025
San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo believes asking hard questions and standing up for residents with “inconvenient” beliefs got him kicked off the City Council’s pivotal Land Use and Housing Committee.
Campillo, who was replaced on the committee Wednesday by Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, says he’s being punished for not being a “yes” man and debating too vigorously during meetings.
“Council committee assignments where controversial issues are discussed seem to be reserved for those willing to say ‘yes’ or go along with the program,” Campillo said.
But simply going along with ideas presented by Mayor Todd Gloria’s staff would be a disservice to his constituents and the city, Campillo said.
“Some folks might not like my prosecutorial style or my probative questions,” he said. “Too bad — that’s what many ideas and items around here clearly need.”
Campillo said he was frustrated to have been told by Councilmember Kent Lee, the committee’s chair, to postpone until next year a proposal to streamline housing project approvals, and now he won’t be able to follow through.
He called his delayed proposal “something that constituents and businesses and unions wanted to see, something that could reduce housing costs and something that could spur jobs in our region.”
Council President Joe LaCava, who recommended Campillo be removed, said Wednesday that the move wasn’t about Campillo but was prompted by Whitburn asking to leave the Audit Committee and join Land Use and Housing.
“It was a change that was requested that I thought made a lot of sense,” LaCava said.
He noted that Campillo will still get a chance to discuss housing-related proposals and policies when those items come to the full City Council for a final vote after being discussed at committee.
“There are multiple ways for council members to raise their voices, whether it’s objections or support or advocacy,” LaCava said.
But Campillo said committees are where crucial work happens.
“Committees matter because this is where real discussions and real work can happen,” he said. “Committees are where council members introduce ideas, challenge assumptions and get into the depth of what the ideas will do.”
Campillo said he plans to consistently use the full eight minutes he’s allotted to discuss council agenda items any time the council debates an item forwarded by the Land Use and Housing Committee.
“I will continue to ask hard questions and speak for residents whose concerns may be politically inconvenient, yet still deserve to be heard,” he said.
Campillo said his goal in asking tough questions is more transparency at City Hall.
“I want a more accessible and more transparent San Diego — one where ideas can be debated openly at length, not punished for being expressed,” he said.
He said he has no problem with Whitburn, saying he appreciates the diligence and contributions of his colleague.
The swap of Campillo for Whitburn was one of only two committee assignment changes for 2026 — the fewest in recent memory. The other change is Councilmember Henry Foster replacing Whitburn on Audit.
The only other notable change is the elimination of the Select Committee on Addressing Cost of Living, a panel LaCava created last winter. He gave no explanation Wednesday why the panel, which had been led by Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, was eliminated.
Leadership of every council committee will remain the same in 2026.
Foster leads the Budget Committee, LaCava leads Rules, Elo-Rivera leads Environment, Marni von Wilpert leads Public Safety, Whitburn leads Active Transportation and Infrastructure, Campillo leads Economic Development, Vivian Moreno leads Audit and Jennifer Campbell leads Community and Neighborhood Services.
In appointments to outside agencies, LaCava and Gloria will keep their spots on the board of the San Diego Association of Governments.
The city’s four representatives on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation System will remain Gloria, Whitburn, Moreno and Elo-Rivera.
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Pretty funny/sad that the “Select Committee on Addressing Cost of Living” was scrapped. For the last year they addressed the cost of living by increasing parking fees, eliminating free parking and doubling the monthly trash collection price.
That’s a bull’s eye, Steph! I wonder how much La Cava spent on setting up and staffing his failed vanity project.
Ha! More like the select committee on raising the cost of living in San Diego led by Sean Elo-Rivera who’s disrespect of colleagues and voters has been confirmed time and again.
Everything select committee on cost of living has recommended or implemented has made constituents worse off.
Stop voting blindly for democrats just because democrats use Trump as a bogeyman. Sean Elo-Rivera is no different in his King ethos than Trump.
Don’t forget Sean Elo-Rivera tried to keep remote constituents from voicing their opinions!
“something that constituents and businesses and unions wanted to see, something that could reduce housing costs and something that could spur jobs in our region.”
Pair that wine with your favorite cheese of sales tax increases. You homeowners get Boone’s Farm and Cheezewhiz
Thank your Councilmember Campillo for being a true public servant. You are what San Diego deserves and needs. You might of lost the battle for the public good this time, but I feel you will eventually win the war. How does Mayor Campillo sound? It sounds really good to me and many other disgruntled, disappointed and discouraged San Diego voters. Keep up the good fight…we appreciate your professionalism.
I am reticent to believe that this is nothing more than scripted political theater. If Campillo declares and runs as an Independent, I will vote for him in a heartbeat. if he does not it’s just going to be the same old Kleptocratic bait and switch. The San Diego Democratic Party has proven REPEATEDLY that they cannot be trusted by San Diegans, at all anymore.
This is outrageous. There must be something wrong going on if the council cannot manage to survive with one no voter. Such actions are prime indicators of corruption.
What needs pointing out is that many if not all of the “unanimous” recommendations that the committees make to the full council end up lumped together on the consent agenda. So unless a councilmember pulls an item for debate, the whole ugly gumbo gets a thumbs up. But when a committee has someone split thei vote, that proposal then has to be considered by the council where they can each be held accountable. Make no mistake: replacing Campillo with water-carrier Whitburn on Land Use & Housing is all about greasing the skids for developers.
I do not know that this is true, but with removing Raul Campillo, there will be NO committee discussion of the most important thing EVER to happen to Ocean Beach – the next item the LU&H Committee will hear removes the Ocean Beach Historical District from protection against unlimited height and density. Based on the Planning Commission, I predict there will be no item discussion by the Committee. This Committee will vote unanimously without comment to accept the Planning Department’s latest idea. Raul Campillo is a lawyer who is certified by the State of California to practice law. If they discuss it, then it is possible that the discussion provides data for any court case. I would be curious how many lawsuits have been filed against the city for ADU and Complete Communities projects.
I am saddened to hear that Raul Campillo, a voice for the residents has now been removed from the Land Use and Housing Committee, to be replaced to make it easier fir the rubber stampers that support irresponsible housing that increases rates of rent, and do not care about the residents.
With upcoming elections I hope voters remember how potential Mayor candidates voted!
Land Use and Housing had the potential of reducing rents by actually creating Affordable homes vs. Scams that only use the word Affordable!
3bd, 2 bath homes and
4bd 2.5 bath homes with 2 car attached garage, and yard, plus 4 parking spots that rent from $2300- $2800, will have drastic rent increases when the micro 500sq ft “Affordable”studios, with yards, nor parking are built that rent for $2300.
All fixer uppers homes that allowed first tine buyers to become home owners are being purchased by Developers and Investors.
The Land Use & Housing has not proposed a regulation to truly increase housing by imposing a limit on the total amount of homes a entity, LLC or Homeowner can own within City limits. Other states have sucessfully imposed limits.
Not a chance of anything useful to residents ever getting passed by the Land Use & Housing Committee.
Yes—David Garrick’s piece does a solid job of spotlighting just how “functional” City Council leadership has become: first Elo, now LaCava. Somehow it’s never so bad it can’t get worse.
There’s so much to unpack here you hardly know where to begin, but two points jump off the page:
First, this one comes to mind:
“Council President Joe LaCava, who recommended Campillo be removed, said Wednesday that the move wasn’t about Campillo but was prompted by Whitburn asking to leave the Audit Committee and join Land Use and Housing.
‘It was a change that was requested that I thought made a lot of sense,’ LaCava said.”
Of course, it “makes sense.” Whitburn’s office has been mired in scandal—so naturally the solution is to reshuffle chairs and pretend it’s all just routine governance. And since trust matters, here’s a reminder of the Whitburn Chief of Staff mess (because we’re apparently supposed to forget):
https://voiceofsandiego.org/2023/04/04/embattled-city-council-chief-of-staff-out/
Second, this little gem is particularly rich:
“The only other notable change is the elimination of the Select Committee on Addressing Cost of Living, a panel LaCava created last winter. He gave no explanation Wednesday why the panel, which had been led by Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, was eliminated.”
No explanation needed, right? When it comes to “addressing cost of living,” Elo is our guy—batting 1.000 at making sure San Diegans get bled dry. Day after day he’s out there doing the hard work of taxing the bejesus out of everything.
#EverydayMakingSanDiegoMoreExpensiveForAllofUs
Quoting your quote from Joe LaCava: ‘It was a change that was requested…’ Who requested it? (a question that will never be answered.)
I don’t think Steve Whitburn could lead his way out of a wet paper bag. What has he EVER done FOR the people? He’s always voted yes on projects that will be done TO the people. It’s obvious in the various committee’s they’ve already decided what they will do, and they don’t need or want any input from their constituents. that’s been very obvious since the people elected Toddler, and Whitburn wouldn’t even dream about disobeying his master. Thank you Paul, for posting this, and a special Thank you to David Garrick.