Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Zapf’s left turn into O.B.

Councilwoman seems to be enjoying a honeymoon with the town’s citizenry

Lorie Zapf
Lorie Zapf

San Diego City Councilmember Lorie Zapf is a Clairemont Republican, but she can get her O.B. on with the best of them. She enjoys Ocean Beach eateries and taking family and pets to Dog Beach, often sporting flip-flop earrings and a tie-dyed T-shirt. Far from being a lifelong politician, she says she didn’t even get the urge to run for political office until she reached her 50s.

But if Ocean Beach voters had their druthers, it would be Sarah Boot would be representing them and the rest of District 2 on the City Council, not Zapf.

Zapf, who held the District 6 seat until redrawn boundaries placed her residence in District 2, cruised to victory last year. She scored 52.96 percent of the vote district-wide in the June primary, eliminating the need for a November runoff.

Ocean Beach and District 2 election results

But those results were in stark contrast to left-leaning Ocean Beach, where she took a bit of a shellacking. She was outvoted by Boot in all but two of the 12 precincts that make up O.B. With four candidates on the ballot, Boot gained an outright majority half of O.B. precincts; overall, O.B. voters preferred Boot by nearly eight percentage points.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I expected those results,” said Zapf, whose presence was a big reason for a standing-room-only crowd on January 28 at the monthly public meeting of the Ocean Beach Town Council.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to get out here as much as I would have liked, and people are just kind of wary when they don’t know you,” she said. “But once I won, and put the campaign behind me, most people have been really nice.”

It was the largest turnout in years for a town council meeting, drawing more than 160 citizens, who snatched up every seat available at the Point Loma Masonic Lodge #620 and lined the walls and spilled into the rear exit area. Citizens were eager to hear an update from police concerning a recent string of burglaries and car prowls.

This was Zapf’s first appearance before the Town Council since succeeding Democrat Ed Harris on the San Diego City Council two months ago. Had she attended a candidate forum last March, it would have been her second time around at Town Council — but she was the only one of the candidates to bow out, citing a prior commitment to raise funds for high school programs at the Taste of Mira Mesa. A Zapf aide who attended in her stead departed immediately after issuing a statement that lasted less than a minute.

But if there was any lingering bitterness over a perceived snub, it didn’t register among those in attendance, who showed with their applause that Zapf is still in the honeymoon phase of her four-year term.

With budget preparations underway at city hall, Zapf’s priorities gave audience members no reason to jeer. She endorsed two popular community improvements: an expanded branch library and a new lifeguard tower.

Zapf underscored her general support for quality government functions — particularly ones available to the needy. She related growing up in a Los Angeles Mexican family that relied on public assistance, which taught her the importance of libraries, parks, beaches, and recreation centers, she said.

“Whatever was free, that’s what we did,” Zapf said. “I lived at the library. My life was books. It was my means to escape.”

But, in response to a question from town council president Gretchen Newsom, Zapf acknowledged the Ocean Beach projects don’t have funding. Asked how to find a path to progress, Zapf confirmed the possibility of a $2 billion bond measure that could be placed on the ballot.

She said she would only support such a measure if it contained line items for specific projects, which would require a two-thirds vote for passage.

“What I don’t like is a $2 billion bond with money allotted in lump sums…,” Zapf said. “Then it gets political. And there’s infighting.”

Lack of growth restricts the amount of developer-generated funds that flow into city coffers, making it harder to pay for capital improvements, she said. “When you have development come in, it provides funds for libraries and parks.” Without developer-generated funds, “you’re going to have to get that someplace else,” Zapf said.

“Trying to retrofit a built-out city to have the amenities and quality of life, it’s really tough, and it’s expensive,” she said. “ If you decide as citizens you want to pay for that, I support that.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024
Next Article

Victorian Christmas Tours, Jingle Bell Cruises

Events December 22-December 25, 2024
Lorie Zapf
Lorie Zapf

San Diego City Councilmember Lorie Zapf is a Clairemont Republican, but she can get her O.B. on with the best of them. She enjoys Ocean Beach eateries and taking family and pets to Dog Beach, often sporting flip-flop earrings and a tie-dyed T-shirt. Far from being a lifelong politician, she says she didn’t even get the urge to run for political office until she reached her 50s.

But if Ocean Beach voters had their druthers, it would be Sarah Boot would be representing them and the rest of District 2 on the City Council, not Zapf.

Zapf, who held the District 6 seat until redrawn boundaries placed her residence in District 2, cruised to victory last year. She scored 52.96 percent of the vote district-wide in the June primary, eliminating the need for a November runoff.

Ocean Beach and District 2 election results

But those results were in stark contrast to left-leaning Ocean Beach, where she took a bit of a shellacking. She was outvoted by Boot in all but two of the 12 precincts that make up O.B. With four candidates on the ballot, Boot gained an outright majority half of O.B. precincts; overall, O.B. voters preferred Boot by nearly eight percentage points.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I expected those results,” said Zapf, whose presence was a big reason for a standing-room-only crowd on January 28 at the monthly public meeting of the Ocean Beach Town Council.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to get out here as much as I would have liked, and people are just kind of wary when they don’t know you,” she said. “But once I won, and put the campaign behind me, most people have been really nice.”

It was the largest turnout in years for a town council meeting, drawing more than 160 citizens, who snatched up every seat available at the Point Loma Masonic Lodge #620 and lined the walls and spilled into the rear exit area. Citizens were eager to hear an update from police concerning a recent string of burglaries and car prowls.

This was Zapf’s first appearance before the Town Council since succeeding Democrat Ed Harris on the San Diego City Council two months ago. Had she attended a candidate forum last March, it would have been her second time around at Town Council — but she was the only one of the candidates to bow out, citing a prior commitment to raise funds for high school programs at the Taste of Mira Mesa. A Zapf aide who attended in her stead departed immediately after issuing a statement that lasted less than a minute.

But if there was any lingering bitterness over a perceived snub, it didn’t register among those in attendance, who showed with their applause that Zapf is still in the honeymoon phase of her four-year term.

With budget preparations underway at city hall, Zapf’s priorities gave audience members no reason to jeer. She endorsed two popular community improvements: an expanded branch library and a new lifeguard tower.

Zapf underscored her general support for quality government functions — particularly ones available to the needy. She related growing up in a Los Angeles Mexican family that relied on public assistance, which taught her the importance of libraries, parks, beaches, and recreation centers, she said.

“Whatever was free, that’s what we did,” Zapf said. “I lived at the library. My life was books. It was my means to escape.”

But, in response to a question from town council president Gretchen Newsom, Zapf acknowledged the Ocean Beach projects don’t have funding. Asked how to find a path to progress, Zapf confirmed the possibility of a $2 billion bond measure that could be placed on the ballot.

She said she would only support such a measure if it contained line items for specific projects, which would require a two-thirds vote for passage.

“What I don’t like is a $2 billion bond with money allotted in lump sums…,” Zapf said. “Then it gets political. And there’s infighting.”

Lack of growth restricts the amount of developer-generated funds that flow into city coffers, making it harder to pay for capital improvements, she said. “When you have development come in, it provides funds for libraries and parks.” Without developer-generated funds, “you’re going to have to get that someplace else,” Zapf said.

“Trying to retrofit a built-out city to have the amenities and quality of life, it’s really tough, and it’s expensive,” she said. “ If you decide as citizens you want to pay for that, I support that.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Next Article

Bringing Order to the Christmas Chaos

There is a sense of grandeur in Messiah that period performance mavens miss.
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader