San Diego County District 4 Supervisor Faces Challenge From Former La Mesa Council Member

SAN DIEGO, CA — The District 4 San Diego County supervisor seeking a second full term is facing a challenge from a former La Mesa City Council member in Tuesday's general election.

Incumbent Monica Montgomery Steppe, currently vice chair, and Kristine Alessio are vying for the Board of Supervisors seat. For unincorporated communities, county government is the main provider of services such as law enforcement, public health, infrastructure and animal control.

In November 2023, Montgomery Steppe defeated private investigator Amy Reichert in a special election by 61%-39%, according to results released by the county Registrar of Voters.

That election was prompted by the resignation of former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which he has denied.

A La Mesa native, Alessio is vice president of NTC Development, a real estate company. She earned her bachelor's degree in philosophy from UC San Diego and a law degree from California Western University.

Alessio, a practicing attorney since 1995, served on the La Mesa City Council from 2012-20. She was also on the San Diego Association of Governments board for six years.

She has volunteered for the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County, East County YMCA, the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center and La Mesa History Center.

Alessio told City News Service that she's a candidate because the county "failed miserably with its reactions to the 2024 floods. What happened was tragic with individuals and businesses."

Alessio added that when she saw that Montgomery Steppe had no formal opponent, she decided to run.

On her website, Alessio highlights public safety, fiscal responsibility, affordability and strong communities as part of her platform.

"We need massive infrastructure investment in the county," Alessio said, adding that government is not ready for more forecasted major storm events. Alessio said, as supervisor, she'd focus on having existing environmental programs better serve South County residents affected by the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis.

She criticized county leaders for allowing financial reserves to be used, along with term limit and sales tax increase ballot measures, in light of an affordability crisis.

County leaders need to ensure that "the money we do have is being spent wisely," said Alessio, who added a tax increase isn't needed if government is efficient. When it comes to affordable housing, Alessio said she would like to see reasonable zoning reforms that respect neighborhoods affected by them.

Alessio described the county's housing policy as sloppy, and said she would like to see "reasonable" zoning reforms that respect neighborhoods.

To reduce county spending, Alessio said she supports a review of each department, including any unfilled positions. She added officials should consider cutting or streamlining Health and Human Services Agency programs that aren't helping residents.

Alessio said county homeless outreach to veterans has worked well, "but not for someone who is talking to a building."

"We really need to strengthen the ability to send people through the (Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment) Court," said Alessio, referring to the California civil legal program connecting those with serious mental illnesses to treatment. She added the county also has to apply massive pressure on the state government to affect change.

"We treat stray animals better than we treat people suffering from addiction or mental illness," Alessio said.

Alessio said that as a La Mesa City Council member, she gave out her phone number to residents, and she'll be a more accessible supervisor to constituents.

The candidate said she would have every staff member also serve as a representative for a different sector of District 4, allowing her to better understand what's on the minds of residents in places like Kensington and Rancho San Diego.

Alessio said she doesn't support county ballot initiative Measure A, which calls for county charter reforms, along with expanded term limits for supervisors.

"I firmly believe in term limits," she added. "If any change were to be acceptable to me, it would not apply to those currently serving, much like the (ballot) measure we passed in La Mesa."

She also opposes Measure B, a county-wide sales tax to address the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis, along with boosting child care and public safety funding, following federal budget cuts. Alessio described that proposal as "a sales tax increase in perpetuity, at a time when things are unaffordable in this state."

"I cannot support a tax increase ... with few guardrails as to how the money will really be spent," she added. "It also burdens the lowest income residents the most."

Montgomery Steppe, who grew up in District 4 and lives in the Skyline neighborhood, is the first Black female San Diego County supervisor. She earned a bachelor's degree from Spelman College and a law degree from the California Western School of Law.

Her campaign did not return an election questionnaire submitted by CNS. Before becoming a supervisor, she served for five years as a San Diego City Council member for its fourth district, from November 2018 to December 2023.

Previous to joining the City Council, Montgomery Steppe "dedicated her life to public service law," by helping families keep their homes after the Great Recession in 2008, according to the official City Council website.

She also served as a criminal justice advocate for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, and as a senior policy advisor for the city of San Diego on numerous issues, including criminal justice reform and public safety, workforce and small business development, and youth services.

In an Oct. 13 San Diego Union-Tribune online article, Montgomery Steppe said that during her first supervisorial term, she "worked with partners across the region to increase economic opportunity for all, champion clean and healthy communities, advance housing and homelessness solutions and build a holistic public safety environment for our neighborhoods."

In the article, she cited various accomplishments during her tenure, including more funding for small businesses; expanded behavioral health and addiction treatment; protecting health care, food assistance and other services following recent federal budget cuts; and more civilian oversight of county jails and the Sheriff's Office.

On Oct. 27, Montgomery Steppe's "Safety Net Bridge Program," a one- year pilot program to assist residents at risk of losing benefits, received unanimous supervisor approval.

On her campaign website, Montgomery Steppe states that she is "here to fight for the real San Diego -- the people who live, work and build their lives here."

In June, she and her fellow supervisors approved her proposal for food distribution events in areas with the greatest need in response to federal budget cuts, a pilot program in cooperation with two regional food banks for one year.

"San Diego faces pressing challenges, from skyrocketing costs and a worsening housing crisis to deep-rooted public safety struggles," the supervisor's website states. "But instead of solving those, we are too busy defending our families, businesses and neighborhoods from cruel people who are causing us harm to make money."

Montgomery Steppe has touted recent efforts to reduce homelessness, including the county's first tiny home/sleeping cabin project, funding for a second safe parking lot and housing for those recovering from substance use.

"She continues to champion non-police crisis response teams, permanent supportive housing and stronger accountability for service providers," according to the campaign website.

In the wake of major floods that damaged neighborhoods in southeast San Diego in January 2024, Montgomery Steppe proposed the Emergency Temporary Lodging Program, "providing safe and dignified shelter for flood survivors," the website stated.

Montgomery Steppe "championed the county's food justice plan with a focus on nutrition equity, which led to a $750,000 allocation to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and SunCoast Market Co-Op to improve access to healthy food in underserved neighborhoods," according to her campaign.

Along with colleagues Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer, Montgomery Steppe voted in May to place what is now known as Measure A on the November ballot. Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond opposed it.

It was unclear whether Montgomery Steppe had issued any formal statement on Measure B.

During a 2023 candidates' forum, Montgomery Steppe, who dealt with a serious illness at age 20 and saw her parents struggle financially, said she understands "what it takes to fight against the bureaucracy for the people, and it is not easy. You do need someone with the experience to do that."

— City News Service