Incoming City Council President Joe LaCava said he is “neutral” on efforts by some La Jolla residents to create a separate city, but pointed out that it would be very difficult to accomplish.
“I have chosen to remain neutral because clearly La Jollans are looking for someone who can give them objective answers,” he said when the question was asked during a press conference on Tuesday.
LaCava represents District 1, which stretches from Pacific Beach through Carmel Valley to Pacific Highlands Ranch, and noted that his own residence would be in the separate city proposed by The Association for the City of La Jolla, a nonprofit group.
He acknowledged that new cities have incorporated in San Diego County in recent years, citing Encinitas and Santee, but noted that seceding from an existing city is much harder.
“In the state of California only one community has successfully detached from another city, and that was Coronado in the 1800s. That speaks to the challenge,” LaCava said.
On its website, the La Jolla association claims residents of the wealthy area would benefit from improved roads, greater safety, prioritization of local projects and having a voice in Sacramento. The proposed city boundaries would be largely based on the 92037 Zip Code but not include UC San Diego.
“It’s a small group that has brought this forward.. They go under the tag line, if I’m not mistaken, of ‘imagine,'” said LaCava.
“To run a city takes more than just ‘imagine.’ There are a lot of details that have to be worked out.”
Seceding from San Diego would require voters in both La Jolla and the rest of the city to approve the separation.
Volunteers have been collecting signatures to petition the Local Agency Formation Commission to study the feasibility of a separate city of La Jolla, one of the steps required before a vote is possible.
