More than a year ago, Voice of San Diego sued the county for refusing to release employee misconduct records.
On Tuesday, within minutes of the county releasing those records to comply with a Superior Court judge’s order, the county announced the departure of its behavioral health director.
The county’s statement doesn’t directly describe the misconduct but decries racism and sexism. Voice is now reviewing the records.
One of the records described a February 2025 incident where an administrative analyst who was unmuted during a county-sponsored cultural responsiveness training attended by about 75 attendees allegedly exclaimed “I thought this wasn’t going to be political, but what do you expect when it’s taught by a bunch of Black people.”
“All inappropriate actions including racism and sexism are absolutely unacceptable and have no place at the county, and we will expect the highest standards of service to uphold public trust,” County Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton wrote in the statement.
Tension Between Muslims and the Mayor
In mid-May, a pair of white supremacists murdered three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego. The shooting rocked San Diego and the larger Muslim community nationwide. But in the days afterward, one mourner took their frustrations out on what, at the time, seemed like an unlikely outlet – Mayor Todd Gloria.
“Your presence is unwelcome here,” said Manalle Abdeezy, a member of the Islamic community with family ties to the mosque, during a vigil at the center.
Abdeezy’s reaction wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision. For months, the relationship between city officials and some members of the Muslim community had been deteriorating.
Many, like Abdeezy, believed that officials like the mayor had gone above and beyond to show solidarity with Israel after the Oct. 7 attacks. Meanwhile, they had hardly acknowledged the suffering of people in Palestine, many believed.
But it was the City Council’s adoption of a controversial definition of antisemitism in March that further calcified the frustration for some Muslims. That the move was advanced by the city’s Human Rights Commission without the input of any members of the Muslim community only added to the sense of betrayal.
Councilmembers Are Pissed At Little Revenue Coming From Golf Lease
On Tuesday, a report by the city auditor revealed how much the city of San Diego is making from the eight golf courses it owns.
Councilmembers were angry to find out that the lease with Fairbanks Ranch, which generated about $16.7 million in fiscal year 2025, is not generating as much money as they expected.
The lease generates less, percentage-wise, than many of the city’s other golf course leases. In 2025, it brought in five percent of its revenue to city coffers. In 2026, that increased to seven percent. But it’s still a lot less than, say, Mission Trails golf course which hands over 22 percent of its revenue to the city.
“We need to find a way to deal with this in a more efficient manner,” said Councilmember Henry Foster. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn added the city needs to “absolutely maximize revenues.”
In Other News
- San Diego home price gains were below the nationwide average in June and failed to keep up with inflation. An industry expert said the housing market remains under pressure and costs are high for prospective homebuyers. (Union-Tribune)
- Advocates are urging city officials in El Cajon to support the inclusion of Middle Eastern and North African nationalities in public data. Advocates say the data is important to provide insight into public health research, education and more. (KPBS)
- Yikes! The city of San Diego is set to pay $10 million to a condo complex in La Jolla and one condo owner to settle part of a lawsuit stemming from a massive sinkhole caused by a failed city stormwater pipe. (CBS 8)
- After the Del Mar Fairgrounds board voted to end negotiations with the city of Del Mar to potentially build affordable housing on the Fairgrounds property, Del Mar Mayor Tracy Martinez sent a letter to the Fairgrounds board urging them to reconsider. Del Mar also got a letter from the property owner of a housing project proposed for Del Mar’s North bluff, urging the city to move its project forward now that the deal with the Fairgrounds has stalled. (Coast News)
- Libraries could be turned into housing, city of San Diego officials think. It’s all a part of the Affordable Home Development Master Plan where officials compiled a list of all city properties that could be used for housing. (Times of San Diego)
- President Donald Trump is building his signature border wall through a federal nature preserve with a contractor that has a history of fines and regulatory violations. The Trump administration more than doubled the dollars for the project from $574 million to $1.2 billion within six months. (inewsource)
The Morning Report was written by Mariana Martínez Barba, Jakob Mcwhinney and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.
SD city government – corrupt, bigoted, incompetent.