San Diego's District 4 rivals lay out housing, budget plans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Henry Foster and Martha Abraham. Photos: Courtesy of campaigns
An unexpectedly tight race is underway in City Council District 4.
The big picture: The incumbent, Henry Foster, is facing a challenge from nurse Martha Abraham, who got just six fewer votes than Foster in the primary.
This interview has been edited for length.
Axios: What is the biggest issue facing District 4?
Foster: Quality of life. It's a national challenge, not just a local one, and it comes down to whether residents can actually see and feel city government working for them.
Abraham: District 4 communities have historically experienced disinvestment, and those disparities have real consequences for health, safety, and economic opportunity.
- We need to stop treating these issues as isolated problems and address the underlying inequities in how resources, infrastructure and development are planned and delivered.
What would you do about housing and affordability?
Foster: Hold every project to the same standard. I support projects that fund infrastructure improvements and engage the community, and I oppose those that don't.
- City Hall should be looking for ways to protect household budgets and assist in bringing the cost of living down while ensuring working families are making a livable wage.
Abraham: I would focus on creating more housing opportunities that allow District 4 residents to build wealth.
- One strategy is thoughtfully developing our commercial corridors with middle housing where it is appropriate and supported by infrastructure.
- Development should also come with the infrastructure, parks, and services needed to support growing communities.
How should the city address its budget problems?
Foster: Putting core services first and cutting spending that doesn't deliver, not by reaching into residents' pockets.
- We must also continue to address the city's current structure and operational inefficiencies, city leases and identify services that can be brought in-house, such as street and road repair and EMS services.
- Long term, we have to stop budgeting one year at a time.
Abraham: We have to rebalance the ratio of upper-level, non-public-facing supervisors and frontline workers like firefighters, librarians, and road maintenance workers.
- We could reduce supervisors (sometimes called middle managers) proportionally to eliminate the structural budget deficit.
How do you differ from your opponent?
Foster: I bring more than 10 years of experience working in the city.
Abraham: I am a public servant, not a politician.
What is one thing you would do differently in a second term?
Foster: I will be even more proactive about holding the Mayor's office accountable on the budget and on how city services are delivered.
How would you serve the residents of your district differently from Henry Foster?
Abraham: I would lead with a listening-first approach. As a nurse, I use a process that begins with listening and assessing before developing a plan, taking action, and evaluating whether it is actually working.
- I would bring that same approach to City Hall.
What is one concrete thing you would accomplish in your next year in office?
Foster: I want residents to see more District 4 infrastructure projects moving from promises on paper to construction. I will make District 4 a clear priority for infrastructure investment by identifying city inefficiencies, securing state and federal dollars, and ultimately getting projects built faster.
Abraham: I will end the city's exploration of my opponent's proposal to arbitrarily dump 36 new cannabis dispensaries into our communities.