On Jan. 14, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors faced a crucial decision: appoint or hold a special election for Nora Vargas’ replacement. In a unanimous vote, they chose democracy -– letting the people decide. The Poway City Council should do the same when they hold their next council meeting, on Jan. 21.
The county’s decision wasn’t just about one seat. Across the region, from Poway to Encinitas to Coronado, and potentially Lemon Grove, leaders are sidelining voters by opting to appoint vacant seats instead of having elections. Each decision to appoint chips away at public trust and reinforces the perception that elected officials are serving their own interests instead of the people they were chosen to represent.
I’ve seen this firsthand. I ran for Poway City Council in 2022 because of our city’s troubled history with appointments. Since Steve Vaus became mayor in 2014, Poway’s council has been shaped by appointments. In one of the most controversial ones, the council appointed Caylin Frank in 2018 shortly after she moved to Poway. Her appointment, loudly opposed by the community given her recent move to the city, set off a chain of decisions shaped more by insider interests than by the needs of Poway residents.
Vaus’ control of the council led to runaway development projects that significantly altered the character of the city, leaving many residents feeling powerless and unheard. Frank lost her reelection this last November by 13 votes to political newcomer Jenny Maeda, and now works with the Building Industry Association of San Diego. Tony Blain, a political outsider, also beat the preferred establishment candidate, Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association.
Now, with a council vacancy in Poway — due to the resignation of Councilmember Brian Pepin just two years into his term to pursue his “political consulting” business — Mayor Vaus is once again trying to push another appointment. More than 300 Poway residents signed a petition urging a special election. The council will have an opportunity to reintroduce a vote for a special election on Jan. 21. What happens next can help determine control of the council, a power shift that hasn’t happened in Poway since 2015.
Poway is not alone in sidelining the needs and voices of the community. Encinitas faced similar criticism, with residents calling out the city’s history of “serial appointments” and the hypocrisy of newly elected officials reversing their campaign positions to appointments as soon as they ed the council. Coronado recently followed suit, opting for an appointment despite public outcry. And in Lemon Grove, a similar debate is playing out, with former council member Liana LeBaron urging her city to hold a special election rather than appoint a replacement for their newly elected mayor’s vacant seat.
In Poway, as in other cities, the council has cited the cost of a special election as a reason to appoint. But let’s be clear: This isn’t about cost — it’s about control at all costs. Appointments allow current leaders to handpick successors who will uphold their agendas and that of their donors, bying the scrutiny of a public vote. The cost of a special election is an investment in trust and ability, something our communities desperately need.
This regional challenge now has a clear solution, as shown by the Board of Supervisors. While its might disagree on many issues, they were unanimous in ing a special election — proving that democracy and community representation should come first. “The residents of District 1 deserve an opportunity to elect their representatives,” said Supervisor Jim Desmond. The same should hold for Poway.
Other local governments should follow their lead by committing to elections or, at most, appointing an interim representative to allow time to organize a vote.
The county has seized the opportunity to set the standard for representation at the regional level. By unanimously choosing a special election, county leaders have shown that they value voter voices, uphold transparency, and put people ahead of political convenience and special interests. Poway should do the same -– respect its residents, restore trust, and let the people decide.
Soto is the director of communications and public relations at Civilian, a San Diego corporation with a goal to use business as a force for good through social impact work. He lives in Poway.
