How San Diego city government works
A strong-mayor city, a nine-member council, and a county of five supervisors: who holds what power in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO: Power in San Diego is split on purpose. The city runs on a strong-mayor system: the mayor is the chief executive, and a nine-member City Council, each member elected from a single-member district, is the legislative body.
The council introduces and passes the city's ordinances and resolutions. Most actions need five votes to pass; the mayor can veto legislation, and the council can override a veto with six votes.
The council meets in regular public session, and its agendas, with results, are posted on the City's official agenda portal. Anyone can attend, and public comment is part of the meeting.
The county layer
The city and the county are separate layers of government, not a hierarchy. The County of San Diego is run by a five-member Board of Supervisors, each elected by district. The county handles elections and voter registration, law enforcement through the Sheriff, jails, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services, and it serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas.
How to be heard
Agendas are posted before each meeting, and public comment is part of the ritual at the council, the board, and the city's commissions. The Chronicle keeps the official agenda links for the region's civic bodies on our community calendar; check there before you go, because schedules change.
The county's own motto is carved over the door of the Administration Building: the noblest motive is the public good. It is worth remembering the next time you take the microphone.
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