By Miriam Raftery
Photos, top left to lower right: Sitivi "Steve" Faiai, Councilman George Gastil, Jessyka Heredia,and Seth Smith
August 27, 2024 (Lemon Grove) – Four candidates are running for two City Council seats in Lemon Grove. Councilman George Gastil seeks reelection. The other candidates are Sitivi “Steve” Faiai, Jessyka Heredia, and Seth Andrew Smith. Depending on the outcomes in the Council and mayoral races, Lemon Grove will have at least one new face on its City Council, and could have as many as three.
That’s because Councilmembers Liana LeBaron and Alysson Snow are challenging incumbent Racquel Vasquez in the mayoral race. LeBaron’s Council term is up this year, meaning if she loses her mayoral bid, she will be off the Council. Snow’s term isn’t up until 2026, meaning she will stay on the Council if she loses her mayoral bid. If Snow wins, this would create a new open seat, which the new City Council could fill by appointment or special election. Read ECM’s article on the mayoral race.
Lemon Grove’s City Council meetings have often been contentious, with clashes among some Councilmembers as well as pushback from some members of the public on issues including homelessness, housing, business development, street repairs and flooded storm drains. The city has a smaller budget than other East County cities, making it a daunting challenge to meet the many priorities voiced by residents.
Here are highlights of each candidate seeking to represent residents on the Lemon Grove City Council, listed in alphabetical order.
Sitivi “Steve” Faiai: A coach at Helix High School, husband and father, Faiai says in his candidate statement, “I believe that supporting working families through strong leadership is critical for a community that is seeking to improve and repair itself after years of neglect.”
He believes safety should be the top priority, including a clean city where residents feel comfortable living, as well more timely access to solutions for issues such as traffic control and road maintenance. On the “homeless crisis,” he supports “effective solutions with proper planning and community input instead of temporary fixes.”
He pledges to advocate to reopen the Lemon Grove Recreation Center to engage youths in “sporting activities that build character and foster leadership skills.” If elected, he promises to listen to residents and help “build the community we deserve.”
George Gastil: A long-time member of the City Council, history professor George Gastil is known as a calm voice on an often contentious council. Endorsed by the County Democratic Party, Gastil’s candidate statements says he has helped secure “unprecedented investments to repair our streets and upgrade our parks and stormwater infrastructure” but acknowledges “there is more to do.”
Committed to “quality housing across all income levels,” Gastil supports programs to help people stay in their homes and help to find shelter and services for those who are homeless.
He is Lemon Grove’s representative on the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), chairs the Accessible Services Advisory Committee, and serves on the San Diego Regional Association of Governments (SANDAG) as well as the East County Economic Development Council. Gastil says he has advocated for Lemon Grove and for a robust regional economy, promoting environmental equity and sustainable land use.
He and his wife have raised their three children in Lemon Grove, which he calls a “wonderful community.”
Jessyka Heredia: For nearly three years, Heredia has volunteered to live-stream and record Lemon Grove’s City Council meetings because it is the only city in East County that “does not broadcast their meetings online or on a cable channel, despite the city collecting over $350,000 in public funds meant for just that.”
A small business owner and active community volunteer, Heredia reopened the Lemon Grove Women’s Club, now called the Forward Club, and served as president from 2022-2024, gaining 38 members to make it the largest service club in Lemon Grove. She also started a social media page for Lemon Grove business owners to help keep tax dollars in the city by promoting shopping local in Lemon Grove.
Heredia has reported on a wide range of Lemon Grove news including Council meetings for East County Magazine. (She is recused from covering Lemon Grove politics for ECM since announcing her candidacy.)
In her candidate statement, Heredia says she is “committed to fighting for families and businesses here in Lemon Grove.” Her priorities include fixing streets in the worst condition starting with those near parks and schools, addressing homelessness, creating a clean and safe city, and “bringing back accountability and transparency at city hall.”
Seth Smith: Smith is chair of the Lemon Grove Planning Commission. An architectural designer and project manager, he has been a Lemon Grove resident for over 14 years.
While on the planning commission, he says he advocated for infrastructure improvements, sidewalk and street repairs as well as new construction. He is proud of approving over 150 new homes for families in Lemon Grove, as well as overseeing an ordinance update to limit massage parlors, “helping to push human trafficking out of our community.”
“Let’s keep the momentum going,” he says. If elected, Smith pledges commitment to fund repair and improvement of streets, sidewalks, and stormwater systems. He also aims to update the city’s general plan and zoning ordinances to further increase housing stock , attract new businesses, and work with neighboring cities to identify regional solutions for unsheltered citizens.
Smith is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party. The County Republican Party has not made any endorsements in this race.