SAN DIEGO.- The San Diego community of La Jolla is working on a proposal to secede from the city and become its own autonomous city. According to Trace Wilson, the president of the Association for the City of La Jolla, the separation of the city of San Diego would improve the entire region.
This isn’t the first time the residents have proposed separation, but this time they’ve been working on the process for nearly two years. A preliminary map shows that La Jolla would include areas west of Interstate 5, from Torrey Pines State Park to Tourmaline Beach, but would not include the University of California San Diego (UCSD).
The association is working on a preliminary financial analysis and collecting data from the City of San Diego for review by the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). LAFCO will oversee the application process, hire its own company to perform a financial review, and decide whether or not the proposal is beneficial. The association will need 25% of La Jolla residents to support the idea before proceeding with the application to LAFCO.
After undergoing the tax impact review and understanding the financial impacts, LAFCO will conduct another tax review from a different source. Ultimately, the decision to secede from the City of San Diego and become its own charter city will depend on the outcome of these reviews and the support of La Jolla residents.
Meanwhile, they have been in talks with the leaders of Del Mar and Malibu, who went through a similar process to become their own cities, with Mayor Todd Gloria serving their interests.
