San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, a Democrat, is running for re-election. To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked him and his challenger a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? My parents raised me to believe that if you care about something, leave it better than you found it. I love my hometown and have worked my entire career to make it a better place for all of us to live and work. In the last four years, we have completed 1,650 miles of street repair, expanded homeless shelter capacity by 70%, permitted the most homes since the 1980s, and ensured it remains one of the safest big cities in America. Our policies have resulted in real progress, but I recognize we still need to do more. I’m running for reelection to continue to make progress on these priorities and ensure the San Diego dream is available to everyone — no matter their ZIP code or circumstances. I have the experience and proven record to lead our city and tackle the challenges we face. What are the top 3 issues facing the city? The top three issues facing San Diego are cost of living, homelessness/housing and fixing our infrastructure. We need to create more economic opportunity and financial security for all San Diegans. I have pushed for better wages, expedited permitting for affordable housing with the aim of driving down prices for middle-class and working people, and created one of the safest big cities in America. We need to keep our foot on the gas pedal to reduce homelessness, and we are moving in the right direction. I have increased shelter capacity by over 70%, changed state law to expand substance abuse and mental health services, and passed a law banning tentencampments near parks and schools. Finally, our infrastructure has faced decades of neglect — and I refuse to do that. My administration year over year has increased funding for fixing roads, and we concentrated efforts to repair streetlights and sidewalks. What are the first 3 things you would do in office if reelected? The first three things I plan to do: Lower the cost of living by building more homes and focus on creating opportunities for homeownership at all price points to make generational wealth building available to far more San Diego families Keep our city safe and crime rates low by focusing on crime prevention, supporting smarter policing and fostering stronger and more connected communities through better neighborhood amenities like improved parks Continue to make record investments and streamline processes in order to fix the damn roads faster Do you support a 1-cent general city sales tax increase, and/or a half-cent county sales tax increase that would fund transportation? Why or why not? Yes. San Diegans see what years of not investing in neighborhood infrastructure like our roads, storm channels and public facilities have done. The proposed city sales tax would immediately make an impact in every San Diego community by investing in neighborhood infrastructure like roads, sidewalks, and streetlights as well as enhancing essential city services like emergency response and storm readiness. After decades of underinvestment, our needs far exceed what the city’s existing revenues can support, and we cannot put off these critical investments any longer. It’s not responsible to continue to kick the can down the (crumbling) road. The city’s independent budget analyst has warned that next year’s budget cycle could be difficult absent a new revenue stream. Between that warning, the city’s infrastructure funding shortfall and its ongoing pension payments, what should the city do? Where should services be cut, and/or where should new revenue be sought? We’ve overcome difficult times before, and we’ll do so again. When I took office amid the pandemic, we navigated tremendous economic challenges and uncertainty, implementing responsible fiscal policies and making the most of strong relationships in Washington to secure over $1 billion for our city. Each year, I have secured unanimous council approval for the budget by carefully controlling departmental spending while making historic investments ininfrastructure and public safety — reflecting prudent, strategic fiscal management. Ultimately, we must address the structural deficit, and the proposed sales tax increase does that with $400 million annually for neighborhood infrastructure and essential services. Polling has shown housing and affordability to be a top issue for San Diegans, and city leaders and candidates have raised concerns about San Diegans being priced out and stressed the need for more homes that middle-income people can afford. What more should the city do to combat its housing affordability crisis? Lowering costs for working families is one of my top priorities. Let’s be very clear: The best way to bring down the cost of housing is to build more housing. My executive order to permit 100% affordable housing projects within 30 days has led to over 3,000 rent-restricted homes. A similar 30-day permit program for homes near transit has led to 625 homes being permitted. Another new program, Bridge to Home, created 1,384 rent-restricted and permanentsupportive homes, and another 400 homes coming soon. This progress has earned us the reputation as a national leader on this issue. Proposition 33 would allow cities to enact rent control beyond what they can now, but it’s drawn concerns about how it could curb new housing construction locally. Do you support Prop. 33? Why or why not? Beyond the specifics of that measure, do you support expanding local rent regulations more generally? If so, how so? I oppose Proposition 33. It could undermine state housing laws and make it harder for California to build new affordable housing. In San Diego, our housing policies aimed at substantially increasing supply to alleviate the shortage are beginning to yield results; all the data show rents are finally coming down. Prop. 33 would halt this momentum, stall home building, and reverse the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve. How would you evaluate the record of Proposition 47 in the decade since voters enacted it? Should voters scale it back by passing Proposition 36? Why or why not? Proposition 47 lessened penalties for certain theft and drug crimes and, although well-intentioned, we’ve seen criminals exploit these reforms. Organized networks of career thieves have been ransacking stores with few consequences, and neighborhoods have been plagued by open drug use on the street. The state legislature took steps to combat retail theft, but I want to see stronger action on illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs. Proposition 36 gives communities more tools to go after dealers who peddle poison and to help those struggling with addictioninto treatment. I urge all San Diegans to support Proposition 36. San Diego has too few shelter beds to accommodate the homeless people who need them and stands to lose more soon, but a proposal for a large congregate shelter lease has drawn scrutiny. How should the city act quickly to ensure everyone who wants it has shelter or housing? How should it balance this urgency with the need for due diligence? Getting unsheltered people off the street and into housing benefits everyone, and we need to pull together and support solutions. I’ll continue to advance sensible proposals and policies that make it easier to build affordable and permanent supportive homes. I will also continue to support solutions like safe parking and safe sleeping that help people stabilize and access services that will help end their period of homelessness. We must treat this crisis with the urgency it demands.