San Diego leaders sworn in; mayor, council and city attorney emphasize housing, homelessness and public safety

San Diego’s mayor, council president and members of the city’s legal team took oaths of office at a public inauguration ceremony that featured performances, a land acknowledgement and remarks focused on homelessness, housing and public safety.

Mayor Todd Gloria, City Attorney Heather Ferber and newly sworn council members addressed a packed Jacobs Music Center after the city clerk announced Item 700 as the 75th inauguration ceremony. Gloria said his second term would not be a pause in action: “There will be no second term slowdown,” he said, listing homelessness, housing production, neighborhood infrastructure and public safety as immediate priorities.

The ceremony included a land acknowledgement and invocation by Dr. Stan Rodriguez of the Santa Isabel Kumeyaay Scribe and a performance by the Civic Dance Arts program. City Clerk Liana Fuentes outlined public-testimony procedures before the event and confirmed there were no written or virtual public comments on the item.

Council President Pro Tem Joe Lacava (District 1) and other newly sworn council members used their remarks to identify local priorities. Lacava emphasized housing and neighborhood services and thanked city employees and volunteers. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn (District 3) said increasing housing supply — citing downtown and Mission Valley rent trends — and improving transit were key to easing costs for residents. Councilmember Raul Armando Campillo (District 7) highlighted labor protections, parental-leave expansions and infrastructure accomplishments in his district.

Councilmember Marnie Von Wilpert (District 5) stressed public-safety initiatives. She recounted authoring San Diego’s ban on the sale and possession of illegal “ghost guns,” saying the city and its attorneys were sued after the law passed and that the city ultimately prevailed: “We won,” she said, noting a federal court upheld the law. Von Wilpert also cited planned investments from opioid settlement funds ("over 40,000,000 in the next 10 years") and described a $60,000,000 electric‑vehicle charging program launched through the city’s environment committee.

Outgoing City Attorney Mara Elliott reviewed her office’s enforcement and litigation record, including gun‑violence prevention work and consumer and environmental cases. Heather Ferber, sworn in as city attorney, said she would "put the law first" and described the city attorney’s office as a partner to city officials and a protector of the public interest.

The inauguration concluded with an invitation to a community celebration and resource fair in the theater lobby. The council recessed and planned to reconvene at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers.