San Diego Councilmembers Jennifer Campbell and Marni von Wilpert secured additional opportunities to shape city legislation and policies Monday when assignments to council committees were finalized.
Campbell and von Wilpert had only three committee assignments each when Council President Sean Elo-Rivera announced his recommendations last week, but both women got assigned a fourth committee on Monday before the council unanimously approved the assignments.
Campbell was added to the council’s Public Safety Committee and von Wilpert was added to the council’s Community and Neighborhood Services Committee.
Campbell, a retired medical doctor, said she made important contributions while serving on the public safety panel last year.
“I was able to use my experience and expertise in medical systems to help support Fire Department efforts to transition to the alliance model,” said Campbell, referring to the city’s takeover last fall of ambulance billing and deployment.
Von Wilpert hasn’t previously served on the Community and Neighborhood Services panel. She will replace Stephen Whitburn, who asked to be removed based on time conflicts with some outside committees he will serve on during the new year.
They include the Metropolitan Transit System board, the San Diego County Water Authority board and the board of the San Diego Housing Commission’s Housing Development Partners. Whitburn said he would have missed all but four Community and Neighborhood Services meetings in 2024.
Councilmember Kent Lee will serve as chair of two powerful committees: Budget and Government Efficiency Committee and Land Use and Housing.
“I’m honored for the opportunity to serve in the capacities that have been recommended, especially given that we have a gap at the moment with one colleague we are short,” Lee said Monday. “This is a critical budget year, and we are continuing to deal with numerous challenges on the housing front.”
Other notable changes include Whitburn taking over the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from Lee, and Councilmember Vivian Moreno taking over the Audit Committee from Whitburn.
There are more committee assignments to go around this year because Monica Montgomery Steppe was elected in November to the county board of supervisors, leaving eight council members instead of nine.
“We are a person down, which adds to the responsibilities that all of us have,” Elo-Rivera said.
