City of San Diego makes amendments to lawsuit over La Jolla cityhood – NBC 7 San Diego

The City of San Diego made amendments to its lawsuit seeking to stop La Jolla from becoming its own city.

The amendment was made late last month and it claims San Diego would be negatively affected, adding that they should not move forward with the Cityhood application.

“People that come to La Jolla, you know, always you know. They come to San Diego and they think of La Jolla as you know, the Jewel of San Diego,” Delgado said.

The so-called jewel that attracts millions of tourists to San Diego every year for its coastal views and Sea Lions is now at the center of a legal battle.

The City of San Diego recently made amendments to the lawsuit it filed against the Local Agency Formation Commission of LAFCO for reversing the San Diego County’s registrar of voters office’s initial decision.

It claimed, “The Association for the City of La Jolla’s petition” didn’t collect enough signatures from 25 percent of La Jolla’s voters to continue their efforts to make La Jolla its own city.

It also urges LAFCO and its executive officer to rescind the certificate of sufficiency it granted the association for the City of La Jolla. “I think the city is trying to intimidate La Jolla by suing them, lawsuits and so forth,”  Chris Nyhan said.

50-year La Jolla resident Chris Nyhan supports the succession effort.

“I’m sure that La Jolla produces a lot of revenue for the city, so I think they’re concerned about that,” Nyhan said.

After LAFCO issued the certificate of sufficiency, it said it would begin its cityhood review process, but the amendment to the lawsuit claims those proceedings and the preparation of the comprehensive fiscal analysis will impose substantial irreparable harm on the city.

It claims the city will incur considerable costs and spend substantial time and resources.

NBC 7 reached out to LAFCO and the City of San Diego for comment and is awaiting a response.

Meanwhile, the law firm providing legal counsel for the Association of La Jolla said they are not able to provide comment.

Hannah Jimenez has lived in La Jolla all her life.

She supports the City of San Diego’s claim.

“I think San Diego is a great city and I just don’t see the need to separate,” Jimenez said.

She’s not alone.

Tomas Delgado recently moved to La Jolla, but this is his new home.

“In my personal opinion I think La Jolla should remain with San Diego, and not the other way around,” Delgado said.

If LAFCO were to reissue a certificate of insufficiency, the association for the City of La Jolla would have to restart its petition process, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.