Mark Powell
Candidate for City Council Member, San Diego, District 6
Mark Powell is a lifelong San Diegan and first-generation American whose parents were immigrants; he grew up in Clairemont and University City and now lives in San Diego with his wife Candice, who works in healthcare, and their two daughters. He earned a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University in 1984 and two master's degrees from Alliant International University (1992) and National University (2000). Powell has spent more than 25 years in education as a classroom teacher, dean of students, vice principal, and professor at National University, and he also operates a family real estate brokerage that has helped hundreds of families secure housing. He serves as a reserve police officer with the San Diego Police Department and as president of the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club. Powell was an elected member of the San Diego County Board of Education representing District 1 from 2017 to 2020, where he worked on student mental health resources, opioid and vaping prevention, drowning prevention for underserved youth, affordable teacher housing, and protections against human trafficking.
Positions in brief
Powell's platform centers on affordability, including opposing new taxes and fees and reducing the city's trash tax, alongside preserving neighborhood character, improving road and traffic infrastructure, and community-oriented policing.
On affordability, Powell wants to restore free parking in Balboa Park, reduce or repeal the city's trash tax, simplify permits to reduce building costs, and oppose new taxes. On community character, he supports stricter design standards and limits on ADUs in high fire-hazard zones, road and sidewalk repairs using drone and AI monitoring, traffic-management technology, and preserving street parking and driving lanes for local businesses. On safety, he wants to remove dead trees from canyons to reduce fire risk, restore community-oriented policing with greater neighborhood presence, partner with the county on mental health and homelessness prevention, and support Neighborhood Watch programs.
On the issues
Opposes new taxes and fees and wants to reduce or repeal the city's trash collection tax.
“already expensive enough”
Source →Frames rising rent and home-buying costs as a central concern for families.
“It's tough to watch how hard it's become for families to afford rent, to buy a home.”
Source →Supports simplifying permits to reduce building costs, while adopting stricter design standards and limiting ADUs in high fire-hazard zones.
Source →Prioritizes road and sidewalk repairs using technology, and wants to improve traffic flow while preserving street parking and driving lanes.
Source →Supports restoring community-oriented policing with greater neighborhood presence and county partnership on mental health and homelessness prevention.
Source →
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