Why a Potential Council Appointment in Poway Is So Controversial

To appoint or not to appoint.  

That’s what Poway residents and elected officials have been wrestling with since District 1 Councilmember Brian Pepin announced he’d be resigning from his seat last November to focus on his political consulting business. 

Pepin technically hasn’t left yet, but once he does, the District 1 council seat will be vacant, and city leaders can choose to either appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the District 1 term ends in 2026 or hold a special election to let the voters decide. 

The Poway City Council last month unanimously voted to start the appointment process, with plans to review applications at the upcoming Jan. 21 council meeting. However, the council could still decide to hold a special election instead. Many residents are hoping councilmembers will reconsider, arguing that Poway has had a “troubled history” with appointments. 

In the past 10 years, the council has appointed three separate people to fill vacant council seats. If Pepin’s seat is filled by appointment, it would become the fourth appointment since 2015. 

An appointment would take less time than a special election, which could not be called by the City Council until the November 2025 election, according to a city staff report. The city estimates that a special election could cost $175,000 to $300,000. 

At a Dec. 3 council meeting, several public speakers urged the council to consider a special election, regardless of cost, arguing that it’s their fundamental right to be able to choose their councilmember. 

Others implied that there’s a deeper layer to Poway’s history of appointments, one where city leaders are appointing people that serve their own interests.  

“When you make an appointment, it seems like you have something to fear from a public election,” said resident Melissa Morris. “Do you fear the constituency would elect someone you would not have? That’s how democracy works. Do you fear that it’s someone who won’t play ball? That’s how democracy works.” 

Hiram Soto, another Poway resident who ran for council in 2022 and lost to Pepin, told Voice of San Diego that he believes Poway’s history of appointments has been motivated specifically by developer interests. 

Poway’s council has approved several major development projects in recent years, sparking criticism from residents who say the projects clash with the city’s character and worsen issues like traffic and infrastructure strain.  

“Poway has gone through tremendous development, and the majority of the council has supported that development because of the money that it can bring in, regardless of legitimate concerns by many residents,” Soto said. 

He used Measure H as an example, which was on the November ballot. Measure H proposed putting a 30,000-square-foot Life Time fitness center in a residential development called The Farm. The proposed project was 10 times bigger than residents originally voted for in 2020. The City Council had previously considered approving the significant change in square footage without letting the public vote on it again. 

In Poway, any proposals that would increase the residential density on certain types of land has to be approved by voters. That’s a result of Proposition FF, which voters approved in 1988.  

The council ultimately allowed Measure H to go to a vote of the public, and voters rejected it by almost 70 percent. 

“How the public voted on Measure H and on council elections this past November was a sign that voters are rejecting the status quo,” Soto said. 

Poway residents voted two newcomers into the council – Tony Blain won the District 2 seat over Jared Wilson, a police officer who was endorsed by the entire Poway council, the Poway Firefighters Association, the Republican Party of San Diego County and more. And Jenna Maeda won the District 4 seat, defeating council-backed incumbent Caylin Frank, who was controversially appointed to the council in 2018 after just three months of living in Poway.  

Rene Carmichael, a communications representative from the city of Poway, told Voice of San Diego that the implication that councilmembers are appointing people to agree with them on development projects isn’t accurate. 

“There have been councilmembers that were appointed that didn’t vote for projects. There have been councilmembers that were appointed that didn’t vote for other appointees,” Carmichael said. “The statement that these are people brought into rubber stamp developments is inaccurate. I think the voting record and the minutes will tell a different story of councilmembers that are looking at the issues in front of them and making the decision based on what they believe is right.” 

Carmichael used former Councilmember Anita Edmondson as an example, who was appointed in 2023. Edmondson voted against Measure H during a July 2024 council meeting, arguing that the proposed Life Time facility would have too much of an impact on the surrounding area. 

At the Dec. 3 council meeting, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said he “rejects” the notion that Poway has a “troubled history of appointments.” He and other councilmembers said the previous council appointees were qualified and served “with distinction.”  

De Hoff, and a couple residents who made public comments, argued that opting for an election would not only be expensive, but would leave District 1 without a representative until after an election could take place in November 2025. 

Because Pepin will be leaving his seat in the second half of his term, the appointment would be for the remainder of his term, which concludes after the November 2026 election. Pepin will hold onto his seat until appointment of a replacement, and he’ll be allowed to vote on the appointment, according to a city staff report.  

Something to note: The agenda for the upcoming Jan. 21 council meeting includes two emails sent from Councilmember Blain to District 3 Councilmember Peter De Hoff urging him to vote for a special election at the Jan. 21 council meeting, otherwise, Blain writes that he would not support De Hoff for deputy mayor and he would lead a recall effort against De Hoff.