Mayor Kevin Faulconer

City of San Diego

Kevin L. Faulconer became the 36th mayor of San Diego on March 3, 2014, on a campaign message of bringing San Diego together and restoring integrity to City Hall. Mayor Faulconer leads the city under his platform of "One San Diego,” an inclusive city government that creates opportunities and improves the lives of all residents in all neighborhoods. Faulconer has made neighborhoods the centerpiece of administration. His budget priorities include fixing streets, bolstering public safety and bringing more equality to community services. He has tripled the miles of roads repaired annually to meet his aggressive goal of repairing 1,000 miles of streets over five years. He appointed the first female police chief in San Diego history and negotiated and won City Council approval for the San Diego Police Department’s largest-ever recruitment and retention package. He also increased the hours at libraries and recreation centers to their highest level in a decade and created the City’s first afterschool program for students in communities working to improve student achievement. Making housing more affordable and accessible is a cornerstone of Faulconer’s agenda. He has overseen the largest expansion of homeless services in City history (including a year-round emergency shelter, three bridge-to-housing shelters and a Safe Parking Program). His “Housing SD” plan continues to cut red tape and lower development costs to encourage homes that more San Diegans can afford and address San Diego’s housing shortage. San Diego is a world leader in innovation and trade, and Faulconer has focused on creating an environment where residents can tap into these economic opportunities and good-paying jobs. He has strengthened binational relations with Mexico and boosted ties with trading partners in Canada and beyond. He has also inked economic development packages to ensure that local companies continue to thrive and grow in San Diego. Government should never forget it works for the people, and Faulconer has made significant changes to make City government more transparent, efficient and effective. He oversaw a major overhaul of the City’s website that made it more user-friendly, created online tools to show San Diegans how their tax dollars are being spent and the status of road repairs and launched an Open Data initiative to share City data with the public. Faulconer previously served as the District 2 City Councilmember for more than seven years, including as Council President Pro Tem. As chair of the Council's Audit Committee, he worked to restore the City's credit rating and repair its credibility with investors following a pension scandal. Faulconer has a track record of delivering results for San Diego. In 2008, he took a lead role in drafting and supporting Proposition C, which passed with 67 percent of the vote. The measure ensured money generated in Mission Bay Park is invested there and at other City parks. Faulconer campaigned in 2008 for alcohol-free beaches and bays, a measure also supported by voters. In 2010, he helped lead the campaign against Proposition D, a sales-tax increase overwhelmingly rejected by voters. In 2012, he helped craft a successful pension reform initiative that is projected to save San Diego taxpayers nearly $1 billion over 30 years. Prior to his election to the City Council, Faulconer worked in public affairs for more than a decade and was vice president of a leading firm where he managed complex projects within strict budgetary guidelines. Faulconer graduated in 1990 from San Diego State University. He and his wife, Katherine, a small business owner, live in Point Loma with their children, Jack and Lauren.