The battle over La Jolla's potential secession from the City of San Diego has taken a new twist. Mayor Todd Gloria has voiced his disapproval following the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission's (LAFCO) decision to greenlight the moving forward of the secession process. LAFCO ruled in favor of the petitioners, confirming the sufficiency of the signatures required for the reorganization initiative.
Previously, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters found the petition insufficient, falling short of the necessary 6,750 valid signatures, per the Mayor's statement. Proponents of the La Jolla incorporation were then given an extra 15 days to gather additional support, which they also failed to meet, according to the Registrar. LAFCO, however, accepted 240 disputed signatures, which has led Mayor Gloria to describe the decision as "outrageous."
In his statement, Mayor Gloria claims, "The City sat in on the proponents’ appeal of their signature submissions and has serious concerns about the exceptionally broad interpretations made by LAFCO staff." He elaborates on the City's worries about the "allowance of names not matching registered voter data, incorrect addresses and ZIP codes, incomplete addresses, and illegible submissions already rejected by the Registrar." Following these events, Mayor Gloria confirmed that the City would explore all available legal options, stating, per the City of San Diego, "the City will issue a formal Letter of Objection and continue to explore the legal options available."
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