Good morning from Hillcrest.
- We’ll lead off today with news that two-thirds of those on San Diego County’s tax rolls will see their bills decrease. It’s the first time in more than 30 years that property assessments declined. Though the tax decrease means about $10 less for the average homeowner, it means millions less for the county’s bottom line, KPBS reports.
- San Diego City Councilwoman Marti Emerald had her hearing before the city’s Ethics Commission postponed yesterday after her attorney argued for the recusal of a commissioner. Emerald’s attorney said that Commissioner Gil Cabrera could be biased against the councilwoman because of comments he made in an interview with us last month that were critical of the commission’s opponents. Cabrera, who is resigning from the commission effective next month, recused himself, but the commission’s rules then restricted the ability to have a full hearing. At issue for Emerald is her alleged failure to timely report debts from her 2008 campaign.
- Nearly 400,000 new residences will be needed in San Diego County over the next 40 years, the region’s planning group says. Plans are for most of those homes to be in already dense urban areas.
- The city of San Diego’s elected leaders deserve a raise, argue the leaders of a committee that make recommendations on salaries.
- More than 2,000 tax refund checks are going out to San Diego County residents this week from the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. The office had been criticized recently for its handling of overpayments.
- An embattled Poway city councilwoman struck back at the media for not telling her side of the story at a forum last night. Councilwoman Betty Rexford, who is facing a recall election for an alleged abuse of her authority, hasn’t returned calls from reporters in months.
- We Fact Check a claim about how many San Diego County workers reject union membership and find it “barely true.”
— LIAM DILLON