El Cajon council candidates spar over surveillance cameras, immigration and homelessness – San Diego Union-Tribune

El Cajon council candidates spar over surveillance cameras, immigration and homelessness  San Diego Union-Tribune

During a Politifest debate on Saturday, three candidates for the District 1 spot on the El Cajon City Council deliberated key issues. Three candidates competing to represent western El Cajon neighborhoods clashed over homelessness policy, surveillance cameras, immigration enforcement and development during a debate on Saturday. El Cajon’s District 1 City Council seat is up for grabs Nov. 3. The race heated up after longtime Councilmember Gary Kendrick announced he was not running for re-election after 24 years in office, citing health concerns. Three candidates are now battling to represent Fletcher Hills and the surrounding area: Chuck Kaye, a Republican; Patrick Grillot, a Democrat; and Osama Bayati, whose party affiliation is unclear. In a lively debate during Voice of San Diego’s Politifest, the three candidates laid out their stances on issues ranging from immigration enforcement to the future of Parkway Plaza.

While the competitors clashed on many key topics, they agreed on the urgent need for economic development and solutions to the homelessness crisis. On the city’s approach to homelessness, Grillot said leaders erred by not pursuing $5.3 million in state grant funding to address homeless encampments, while Kaye aligned himself with the city’s treatment-focused model. “We need a regional approach,” Kaye, a retired law enforcement officer, said, describing it as a county and statewide issue. On economic stability, the