Video by Provisions Media

San Diego City Council is in session and its new president is reflecting on his work in La Jolla as he looks to the future, citywide.

Council member Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, had his start in community service in his hometown on the Bird Rock Community Council and the La Jolla Community Planning Association. 

After a first run for San Diego City Council in 2016, during which he realized he wasn’t ready and stepped away, LaCava spent more time serving many of the dozens of La Jolla’s civic organizations and becoming involved in issues across San Diego.

LaCava again threw his hat in with the numerous 2020 candidates for the District 1 seat and won, serving a first term that led to his chairing the Environmental Committee and other projects.

Now in his second four-year term, LaCava was honored to be unanimously elected by his fellow eight council members as president, a rarity for first-time presidents, he said.

“I really appreciate the confidence of my council members,” LaCava said, as he sat down for his first formal interview with lajolla.ca.

Embracing opportunity

His trajectory from community to council leadership has been an exercise in embracing opportunity, he said, noting as Council member he has always taken on “assignments that really could serve the community of La Jolla,” and though as a civil engineer he wasn’t planning to chair the Environmental Committee, he found his passion there.

Of his numerous roles past and present, LaCava said “seize those opportunities, and you rise to the occasion.” 

As Council president, LaCava sets the docket for the council meetings each week and works closely with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. 

“I am ready to step up,” LaCava said, adding he’s hoping for a second year as president in 2026 to continue his work on citywide issues, though he’s “always representing La Jolla and District 1, because that’s who elected me to office in the first place.”

Looking back: 2020-2024 

During his first City Council term, LaCava focused much of his time on securing infrastructure dollars to “tackle some of the things that are falling apart here in La Jolla,” he said.

One effort that received particular community attention and gratitude was LaCava’s work to have 

La Jolla Parkway repaved from The Throat (the intersection of La Jolla Parkway, Hidden Valley and Torrey Pines roads) south to Interstate 5.

“I have never gotten so many thank yous and compliments” due to the volume of use along that road, he said.

LaCava also points to other projects, such as his work to close Point La Jolla to humans for sea lion protection and stop beach fires outside of protected fire rings, as more examples with wide response.

Acknowledging some are still upset about the Point La Jolla closure, LaCava said others are “very grateful.” 

The beach fires, a danger when burned in the sand as hot embers remain, were often lamented by many without solution.

“We took it on and found a way to … still preserve the wood beach fires that people love in our city through fire rings, but really shut down those ones in the sand that left the hot coals [and created] a smoke problem for the folks on La Jolla Shores,” LaCava said.

After the beach fire ordinance went into effect, many first responders expressed gratitude, he said, adding they had “been waiting for years for someone” to take the issue on.

LaCava’s approach to address “things that people have talked about and been unwilling [to act on] or found it politically dangerous to take on” is a hallmark of his leadership, he said. 

“I know that I made a difference in how the city operates, and the city is just going to operate more efficiently, more effectively, more fiscally responsible.”

One particular endeavor of LaCava’s first term that he’s carrying forward into his second is his establishment of a table at the La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market, where the first Sunday of each month he connects with community members about their concerns and questions.

Now, people come to him with their issues or simply “walk by and smile and say, ‘thank you for being here,’” he said, adding he’s proud of “always being a voice for them.”

Among his constituents, the most common concerns LaCava hears are regarding potholes, dark street lights and homelessness, the last issue being one that’s become increasingly urgent in recent years.

A truly unifying concern, he said, is the proposed 23-story tower just past the La Jolla border on Turquoise Street in Pacific Beach. 

“This is one time nobody is exaggerating,” LaCava said. “It is as extraordinary as you’ve heard.”

Local and state legislatures and public citizens are “unified in trying to figure out how we can stop it legally,” he said. 

Looking ahead

For his second term, LaCava said the challenge citywide is to balance the budget, which is projected to have a $150 million deficit. 

“We’re really digging deep into reimagining government,” he said. “How can we be most productive in delivering the services?”

The first priority for La Jolla, he said, “is still public safety,” which includes ensuring the numbers of police officers on patrol is high and fire stations are well equipped and properly staffed.

And as it’s imperative to maintain access to the beach in La Jolla, LaCava will strive to ensure full lifeguard staffing from major beaches like Black’s and La Jolla Shores to the smaller, pocket beaches south to Windansea.

More infrastructure funding is needed, however, to fully “meet some of the challenges we have in the community,” he said.

LaCava also will work to improve Fire Station 16, which “hasn’t gotten any love in a long time.”

He’ll also follow up with funding previously allocated in past budgets and ongoing work such as the utility underground program, which “turned out to be a bigger problem than I imagined. … But I’m not going to give up on that.”

Via Capri will finally have its eastern portion repaved this summer, LaCava said, while the rest of it is slated for a summer 2026 repaving. 

He plans to see these projects through by sticking to “that goal that I had when I was a community person of patience and persistence,” he said.

“You never give up. … You never let staff and the operation side forget about dollars you set aside and make sure that we actually get those things done.”

LaCava will also continue to assist the progress of the Streetscape project, which aims to beautify and improve traffic conditions along portions of Girard Avenue.

“Through some good work, I think we’ve eliminated all the hurdles,” he said.

“I know never to relax. The agreements you got last year, you need to remind people this year and make sure they get those permits and get that groundbreaking,” LaCava said, adding the Streetscape “will be a really important improvement in The Village.”

Staying connected

Moving forward as Council president, LaCava aspires to maintain a “delicate balance between La Jolla and District 1, as well as the citywide issues that I have to keep an eye on as well.”

He reminds La Jollans to rely on the Council District 1 office as an important resource, noting so often he hears about “what appeared to be an intractable problem” through lajolla.ca and other outlets, but no one reached out to his staff.

“I can’t solve every problem, but if we don’t know there’s a problem out there that people are trying to navigate, then we can’t help,” LaCava said.

Contacting LaCava or his La Jolla representative, Emily Lynch (erlynch@sandiego.gov), can often direct people to city channels through which to answer questions and resolve issues, he said.

“Give us a chance to help you out, answer questions, point you in the right direction,” La Cava said. “Nine times out of 10, we’re going to be able to provide a suitable solution and a good, positive outcome.”

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