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2026 City Council District 2 Candidate Q&A
Mandy Havlik - Candidate for District 2
1. Candidate Introduction
Brief personal and professional background
I’m a community advocate, a mom of two teenagers, and a wife to a disabled Navy combat veteran. That is how my family came to San Diego in 2009, through military service, and over time this community has truly become our home. I’m also a banded member of the Timiskaming First Nation, and that part of who I am shapes how I think about protecting the environment, conservation of land, culture, and community for future generations. I care deeply about leaving something better for the next generation.
I’m also a survivor of child marriage, and that experience has shaped how I show up and advocate for others. Through a survivor-led organization, Unchained at Last, I’ve worked alongside other survivors to push for changes to state marriage laws so that no young person is put in a situation where they don’t have a real voice or the ability to consent. That work has been deeply personal, but it has also shown me the power of using your voice to create change. It’s strengthened my commitment to protecting vulnerable communities, advocating for stronger policies, and making sure systems work for people, not against them.
For more than a decade, I’ve been actively involved in District 2, not just attending meetings, but helping lead conversations and solutions. I serve as First Vice Chair of the Peninsula Community Planning Board and the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council. I founded the PCPB Environmental Subcommittee and helped create a high school liaison program because I believe people should have a voice in their community, no matter their age or background. I’ve also worked to bring more transparency and accountability into planning discussions. We are the only planning board with an Environmental Subcommittee or a high school liaison program.
I’ve advocated for the Ocean Beach Cottage District, defended the 30-foot coastal height limit, supported coastal access, helped secure park funding for the Canon Street Pocket Park, and worked on neighborhood projects across District 2. I’ve partnered with nonprofits, schools, and volunteers to address real community needs. I’m not coming from politics, I’m coming from the community. I’m someone who shows up consistently, listens carefully, builds relationships, and works alongside neighbors to get things done.
Why you are running for City Council in District 2?
I’m running because I genuinely love these communities and believe the people who live here deserve to feel heard, respected, and represented by their City Council office. Over the years, I’ve watched too many important decisions get made without enough meaningful community input, especially in neighborhoods like Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Midway, Mission Beach, Old Town, and Clairemont. Residents are often expected to absorb major changes while feeling like their concerns about infrastructure, traffic, neighborhood character, and quality of life are treated as secondary. That disconnect has left a lot of people frustrated and feeling like City Hall no longer listens to them.
As a military family, we didn’t come to San Diego with deep roots already established here. We built those roots through community. We built them by volunteering, serving on boards, supporting schools and nonprofits, attending meetings, and standing beside our neighbors when issues affected our neighborhoods. As the wife of a disabled Navy combat veteran, I understand sacrifice, resilience, and what it means to serve something bigger than yourself. Those experiences shaped me and deepened my belief that local government should work with people, not around them.
Over time, I’ve seen how hard residents have to fight just to feel heard. I’ve sat in those meetings with neighbors who took time away from their families and jobs because they care deeply about protecting their community. I’ve seen the frustration when people feel like decisions have already been made before the public even gets a real voice in the process. That should never be how local government works.
I’m running because I believe District 2 deserves leadership that is present, responsive, and grounded in the community. Someone who returns calls and emails, attends meetings consistently, follows through, and treats residents with respect, even when there are disagreements. I believe people deserve a councilmember who will listen first, show up consistently, and work hard every day to earn their trust.
I want to protect what makes our neighborhoods special while planning responsibly for the future. I want people to feel proud of their communities and confident that their voices matter. Most importantly, I want to help restore trust between residents and City Hall and bring the community back into the heart of the decision-making process.
2. Ocean Beach and Preservation and Progress project (Package A)
The mayor’s Preservation and Progress project (Package A) removes current historic protections from Ocean Beach to allow for unchecked and higher density “Complete Communities” development.
What steps would you take to protect and retain Ocean Beach’s historic character, correcting or amending the current city council’s decision? Would you oppose, modify, or propose alternatives to Package A? Please explain.
I have advocated for the Ocean Beach Cottage District, and I understand how much time, effort, and passion residents and preservation advocates have put into protecting the historic character of Ocean Beach. I was down at City Hall for those meetings, standing alongside neighbors who showed up, spoke out, and fought to preserve what makes their community unique. I saw firsthand how deeply people care about Ocean Beach and how committed they are to protecting its history and identity.
That’s why I do not support removing historic protections through Package A as it is currently written. It opens the door to unchecked development that does not reflect the scale, infrastructure limitations, coastal access needs, or historic character of the community. It also disregards the voices of residents who participated in good faith and expected their input to matter.
I would work to pause and amend Package A by restoring protections, requiring a full historic survey, and ensuring that any future changes are community-driven, transparent, and consistent with the Coastal Height Limit. Ocean Beach is not just another place to meet housing targets. It is a historic coastal community with real constraints and a strong identity, and growth must be thoughtful, balanced, and shaped with the people who live there.
Would you require the city to do a full historic survey of Ocean Beach before removing protections?
Yes
3. Mills Act Policy
The Mills Act is currently San Diego’s only effective incentive for increasing housing affordability. However, the City of San Diego's designation process poses a significant barrier for those with limited income, as homes typically must be restored before they can qualify. This prerequisite makes participation financially
prohibitive for many. Additionally, the high degree of physical integrity required of a structure for Mills Act eligibility has made the process onerous.
What steps would you support to ensure that property owners and communities are aware of and able to access the benefits of historic designation and related programs, such as potential property tax relief program?
The Mills Act should be a tool that more people can realistically access and benefit from, not something that feels out of reach unless you already have the financial means to restore a property upfront. Right now, the process can be expensive, complicated, and difficult to navigate, especially for middle-income homeowners who care about preservation but may not have the resources to get started.
I would support streamlining the process, providing clearer guidance, and offering technical assistance so homeowners are not trying to figure it out on their own. I also believe we should explore phased eligibility, allowing people to qualify while making improvements over time, rather than only after significant work is completed.
There is also a major awareness gap. Many homeowners simply do not know the program exists or understand the benefits, including property tax relief. The city should partner with preservation organizations and community groups to provide workshops, outreach, and education. If we want to preserve historic homes, we need to make participation more practical, more accessible, and more widely understood.
Do you support expanding, maintaining, or reducing the program? Why?
I support expanding and improving the Mills Act, not reducing it. It is one of the few programs that successfully supports both historic preservation and financial relief for homeowners, which is critical in a city where affordability continues to be a challenge for many families.
When the program works well, it encourages long-term investment in historic properties, supports neighborhood stability, and helps preserve the character that makes communities like Ocean Beach special. But right now, barriers to entry limit participation, which means we are not getting the full benefit of the program.
Expansion should go hand in hand with reform. We need to reduce unnecessary barriers, improve accessibility, and make the process more equitable so more homeowners can participate. Preservation should not be limited to those with the financial means to navigate a complicated system. If we expand the program thoughtfully, we can protect more historic homes, support affordability, and strengthen our neighborhoods for the long term.
4. Balancing Housing and Preservation
The reuse of older buildings benefits the City’s climate action and housing priorities while supporting historic preservation, neighborhood revitalization, and a circular economy.
What are your views on promoting the adaptive reuse of our historic buildings to preserve cultural identity while integrating sustainable practices and housing options?
We need more housing, but we cannot apply the same approach everywhere. Coastal communities like Ocean Beach have real constraints, including limited infrastructure, traffic congestion, evacuation concerns, and a historic scale that cannot simply be ignored or overridden.
A one-size-fits-all approach often leads to outcomes that do not fit the community and create additional challenges. We need to focus growth in areas that can support it while protecting historic neighborhoods and maintaining the Coastal Height Limit.
Smart growth means making sure infrastructure keeps pace, ensuring development fits the scale and context of the surrounding area, and working with the community instead of around them. It is not about saying no to housing, it is about doing it responsibly. We can meet housing goals while still protecting the identity, character, and livability of our neighborhoods. That balance is critical if we want sustainable, long-term solutions.
San Diego faces significant housing pressures mandated by the state, some of which are not compatible with our coastal communities.
How would you balance arbitrary housing goals with preserving the historic character of neighborhoods like Ocean Beach?
We absolutely need more housing, but we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach, especially in coastal communities like Ocean Beach. State housing mandates are real, but they often don’t account for local conditions like infrastructure limits, evacuation routes, coastal access, aging utilities, and the historic scale that defines neighborhoods like OB. When those realities are ignored, we don’t just risk bad planning, we risk losing the very character that makes these communities worth living in.
Balancing housing and preservation starts with being honest about where growth makes sense and where stronger protections are needed. That means focusing density in areas that can support it, near transit corridors, commercial zones, and areas with the infrastructure to handle it, while protecting historic districts, maintaining the Coastal Height Limit, and ensuring new development fits the scale and context of the surrounding neighborhood. It also means requiring projects to contribute their fair share to infrastructure so existing residents aren’t left carrying that burden.
We also need to be smarter about how we add housing. Adaptive reuse, gentle density, and context-sensitive infill can create new housing opportunities without overwhelming a neighborhood or erasing its identity. Growth doesn’t have to mean disruption if it’s done thoughtfully. Design matters, scale matters, and how a project fits into the community matters.
Equally important is making sure the community is part of the process from the beginning. Residents understand their neighborhoods in ways that planning documents cannot capture. When they are brought in early, we get better outcomes and stronger support. When they are brought in late, we create conflict and mistrust.
Smart growth is not about saying no to housing. It’s about doing it right. It’s about making sure we meet our obligations while protecting what people have spent decades building and preserving. Ocean Beach has a unique identity, and once that character is lost, we don’t get it back. My approach is to plan responsibly, respect local conditions, and make sure growth enhances our communities instead of eroding them.
5. Community Engagement
Local residents and preservation groups bring detailed knowledge of their communities that a
councilmember with a large district and multiple issues to deal with cannot match. Each neighborhood has its own unique needs and priorities.
What role should community members and preservation groups play in decisions affecting historic neighborhoods? How would you ensure that the community's voice is a part of the Council's decision making about their neighborhoods?
Community engagement should be the starting point, not the final step in a process that already feels decided. Residents and preservation groups bring a level of knowledge, lived experience, and long-term commitment that City Hall simply does not have. They understand the history of their neighborhoods, where infrastructure is already strained, which buildings and spaces matter, and how proposed changes will actually impact daily life. That kind of insight is essential to making good decisions.
I have worked alongside planning groups, preservation advocates, and community members for years, and
I have seen firsthand how much better outcomes are when people are involved early and meaningfully. I’ve
also seen the opposite, when engagement happens late in the process, after proposals are already
shaped, and community input feels like a checkbox instead of a real opportunity to influence decisions.
That leads to frustration, mistrust, and outcomes that don’t reflect the needs of the people who live there.
As a councilmember, I will prioritize early, consistent, and transparent engagement. That means continuing
to show up at community planning group meetings, preservation meetings, and neighborhood events, not
just when there is a crisis or a controversial project. It means holding regular town halls across District 2,
not just in one area, so every neighborhood has access and a voice. It also means being accessible,
returning calls and emails, and making sure people know how to reach me and my office.
But just as important, I will make sure engagement actually matters. People should be able to see how
their input shapes decisions, not just hear that they were “heard.” That means providing feedback loops,
explaining how community concerns were addressed, and being honest when something cannot be
changed and why. It also means involving the community earlier in policy development, not just at the end
when options are limited.
I also believe in strengthening the role of our community planning groups and preservation organizations.
These groups are often the first place where issues are identified and solutions are discussed, and they
should be treated as partners in the process, not obstacles. We need to support them with better
communication, clearer timelines, and real consideration of their recommendations.
At the end of the day, people should not feel like they are fighting City Hall just to be heard. They should
feel like they are part of the process from the beginning. That is how we rebuild trust, create better policy,
and ensure that decisions reflect the communities they are meant to serve.
6. Vision for District 2
What is your long-term vision for historic preservation in District 2? Please summarize your
vision and key commitments for historic preservation in District 2.
We absolutely need more housing, but we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach, especially in coastal
communities like Ocean Beach. State housing mandates are real, but they often don’t account for local
conditions like infrastructure limits, evacuation routes, coastal access, aging utilities, and the historic
scale that defines neighborhoods like OB. When those realities are ignored, we don’t just risk bad planning,
we risk losing the very character that makes these communities worth living in.
Balancing housing and preservation starts with being honest about where growth makes sense and where
stronger protections are needed. That means focusing density in areas that can support it, near transit
corridors, commercial zones, and areas with the infrastructure to handle it, while protecting historic
districts, maintaining the Coastal Height Limit, and ensuring new development fits the scale and context of
the surrounding neighborhood. It also means requiring projects to contribute their fair share to
infrastructure so existing residents aren’t left carrying that burden.
We also need to be smarter about how we add housing. Adaptive reuse, gentle density, and context-
sensitive infill can create new housing opportunities without overwhelming a neighborhood or erasing its
identity. Growth doesn’t have to mean disruption if it’s done thoughtfully. Design matters, scale matters,
and how a project fits into the community matters.
Equally important is making sure the community is part of the process from the beginning. Residents
understand their neighborhoods in ways that planning documents cannot capture. When they are brought
in early, we get better outcomes and stronger support. When they are brought in late, we create conflict
and mistrust.
Smart growth is not about saying no to housing. It’s about doing it right. It’s about making sure we meet
our obligations while protecting what people have spent decades building and preserving. Ocean Beach has a unique identity, and once that character is lost, we don’t get it back. My approach is to plan
responsibly, respect local conditions, and make sure growth enhances our communities instead of eroding
them.
How would you ensure neighborhoods like Ocean Beach retain their unique character for future
generations?
Ocean Beach keeps its character when City Hall respects the people and policies that created it in the first
place. OB didn’t stay unique by accident, it took decades of residents showing up, organizing, and fighting
for things like the Coastal Height Limit, historic preservation, and small-scale neighborhood development.
My job would be to honor that work, not undo it.
That starts with protecting the policies that define the neighborhood. I would defend the Coastal Height
Limit, strengthen historic district protections like the Ocean Beach Cottage District, and require full historic
surveys before any protections are changed or removed. Once that character is lost, it’s not something we
can easily rebuild, so we have to be intentional about protecting it now and for the long term.
It also means making sure new development actually fits the neighborhood. Scale, design, and use all
matter. Projects should reflect the existing fabric of the community, not overwhelm it or feel out of place. I
support approaches like adaptive reuse, gentle density, and context-sensitive infill that allow for growth
without fundamentally changing the feel of a neighborhood overnight.
At the same time, we need to invest in what supports character, not just regulate it. That includes
maintaining walkable streets, preserving public coastal access, supporting local businesses, and
improving infrastructure like sidewalks, stormwater systems, and traffic safety. Character is not just about
buildings, it’s about how a neighborhood functions and feels every day.
Community engagement is also critical. I’ve been in those City Hall meetings with Ocean Beach residents,
and I know how much people care about protecting their community. They need to be part of the process
early, not brought in after decisions are already made. I will continue to show up, listen, and make sure
their voices are reflected in the outcomes.
We also have to think long-term. Future generations deserve more than just density and development, they
deserve a real sense of place. My commitment is to protect the policies, support the community, and
ensure that growth enhances Ocean Beach rather than eroding what makes it special.
Are there neighborhood projects or initiatives you would prioritize early in your term?
Yes. Early in my term, my focus will be on repairing the relationship between the District 2 office and the
constituents we serve. Right now, there is a real trust gap. Too many residents feel unheard, frustrated, or
disconnected from City Hall. Before anything else, I want to rebuild that connection by being present,
responsive, and accountable. That means showing up consistently, returning calls and emails, holding
regular town halls across the district, and making sure people feel like they have a direct line to their
council office.
I also want to focus on cutting costs and identifying new, responsible revenue sources that don’t fall on
the backs of San Diegans. Residents are already feeling the pressure from rising costs, and we need to be
smarter about how we manage city resources. That includes looking at efficiencies within city operations,
holding departments accountable, and exploring revenue opportunities that come from tourism,
partnerships, and better use of existing assets rather than increasing fees on residents.
At the neighborhood level, I will champion common-sense solutions that improve daily quality of life. That
includes fixing our streets, improving sidewalks, addressing stormwater issues, and prioritizing traffic
safety around schools, childcare centers, libraries, and recreation centers. These are the basics, but they
matter, and too often they are overlooked.
I also want to make sure we are protecting neighborhood character while planning for the future. That
means supporting thoughtful, community-driven planning, strengthening engagement, and making sure
growth is balanced and appropriate for each area.
For me, early priorities are about restoring trust, being fiscally responsible, and focusing on the practical solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.
7. Closing Statement
Is there anything else you would like to convey to District 2 voters?
Yes. I want voters to know that I’m not new to this work, I’ve been doing it alongside you. I’ve shown up at
community meetings, stood with neighbors at City Hall, worked through planning issues, and helped
advocate for the things that matter most to our neighborhoods. This campaign isn’t about stepping into
the community, it’s about continuing the work I’ve already been doing.
As the wife of a disabled Navy combat veteran, I understand service and sacrifice. That’s how my family
came to San Diego, and it’s shaped how I approach this role. I believe public service should be about
listening, being present, and doing the work every day for the people you represent.
Right now, a lot of people feel disconnected from City Hall. They feel like decisions are made without them,
or that their voices don’t carry the same weight as others. I hear that, and I take it seriously. My
commitment is to change that by being accessible, responsive, and transparent. You should always know
where I stand, and you should always feel like you can reach me.
I also believe we need to get back to the basics. Fixing our infrastructure, improving public safety,
supporting our neighborhoods, and making sure the city is managing its resources responsibly. That
means cutting waste, finding smarter revenue solutions that don’t fall on residents, and focusing on
common-sense policies that actually work.
At the end of the day, this is about community. It’s about protecting what makes District 2 special while
planning for the future in a thoughtful and balanced way. I’m running to be your neighbor at City Hall,
someone who shows up, listens, and fights for you. I would be honored to earn your support.
Here are the survey results from seven candidates for city council in district 2
Richard Bailey - Did not respond • Josh Coyne - Did not respond •
Nicole Crosby - Did not respond
Mandy Havlik •
Jacob Mitchell •
Mike Rickey - Did not respond •
Paul Suppa - Did not respond
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