El Cajon Mayor Wells and city leaders outline achievements and goals during State of City address

By Kevin A. Green 

Miriam Raftery contributed to this report

Photos via elcajon.gov 

The mayor and city officials outline planned actions to benefit the community

February 23, 2026 (El Cajon) — El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells addressed public safety, homelessness, the economy and more during his State of the City address February 3 at the Ronald Reagan Community Center.  The mayor recapped progress made in 2025, addressed challenges and outlined goals for 2026.

Economy and downtown revitalization

“ One major highlight is downtown El Cajon. To help guide its future , the city partnered with New City America to manage and activate the district, ” said Wells.” Since then, we’ve launched new events with a strong focus on arts and culture designed to attract a more diverse audience to attract a more diverse audience and invite new visitors to experience everything our downtown has to offer.”

In the wake of city of San Diego controversy over new parking fees at Balboa Park, Wells noted, “El Cajon does not charge for parking and we don’t plan on it anytime soon. This reflects the City’s ongoing strategy to encourage economic development, support local businesses, and remove barriers that make it harder for people to visit, shop, and dine in our community.”

Wells also emphasized development plans for Parkway Plaza  as part of broader economic revitalization efforts. “We are proactively developing plans to reimagine this important property,” he said. 

The city also secured a USDA grant to plant 750 trees

Public safety and infrastructure

The mayor indicated that the city’s police department is close to being fully staffed. In 2026, the city aims to aggressively work to reduce speeding by motorists.

District 3 Councilmember Steve Goble announced that the El Cajon Fire Department received a new fire engine, Engine 208, through a federal grant.

“This funding also allowed us to add nine firefighter-paramedics, helping maintain our Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office,” Goble said, calling it a major step in strengthening emergency response and public safety.

District 4 Councilmember Phil Ortiz discusses the city's automated license plate reader program and police drone use within the El Cajon Police Department.

“The technology assisted in recovering 46 stolen vehicles worth more than $240,000 last year and contributed to 38 arrests,” Ortiz said, noting the program was recognized by the San Diego Taxpayer Association.”

The city resurfaced over 10 miles of roadways and installed 102 new streetlights last year, and plans more investment in roads, sidewalks, stormwater and drainage systems and other infrastructure this year. The mayor credits the city’s past investment in stormwater infrastructure, noting, “El Cajon did not flood, while many areas of this County did.”

Homelessness and housing

The city expended over $1.4 million on 14 homeless-related programs last year, resulting in nearly 440 individuals placed into permanent housing, over 200 into transitional housing, and over 900 receiving support through emergency shelter services, according to Mayor Wells.

Amid rising homelessness across California, District 1 Councilmember Gary Kendrick explained the city’s homelessness dashboard, which tracks real-time work orders, police reports and cleanup efforts.

“The dashboard brings together real-time service requests, police reports and homelessness cleanup data, giving residents access to spending information and performance metrics displayed through citywide heat maps. The program recently received a Golden Watchdog Award for promoting transparency and accountability.”

The city’s Public Works team cleaned up 120 homeless sites and removed over 800 tons of debris as part of El Cajon’s commitment to not allow homeless sites, the mayor noted.  The city also conducted its own point-in-time count of homeless people, after disputing findings of a countywide point-in-time count last year.

The city issued 194 housing permits last year, including townhomes and mixed-use development downtown. “We see a resurgence in housing development and we’ll continue to promote that in 2026,” Wells said.

Parks and recreation

District 2 Councilmember Michelle Metschel discussed upgrades at Wells Park, emphasizing new recreational facilities and expanded community access.

“ Wells Park continued to see improvements in 2025 with the addition of new pickleball courts and a pro shop, expanding recreational options for residents. The upgrades build on existing amenities such as the mini soccer pitch, ball fields and dog park, creating a central space for community gatherings, outdoor activity and family recreation for people of all ages.” 

The city is also working on a new Veterans Memorial.

Immigration

The mayor did not address immigration policy during his prepared speech, despite a controversial resolution enacted earlier allowing local police to cooperate more closely with federal immigration officials — an action that has sparked multiple public protests in recent months.

Looking ahead

As the city of El Cajon moves into 2026 city officials reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening public safety, revitalizing downtown development , and enhancing community resources for people experiencing homelessness. With projects in development and policy deliberations ongoing, the city will issue regular updates as plans progress throughout the year. 

Wells described “2025 as a successful year for the city and said officials are optimistic about continuing that progress in 2026. He thanked fellow council members and city staff for advancing major projects and launching new initiatives, crediting their work with improving quality of life and strengthening El Cajon as a place to live, visit and do business.”

Resources

For more information about the City of El Cajon, visit: 

Phone number: 619-441-1776

Contact: cityclerk@elcajon.gov 

Website: https://www.elcajon.gov/

State of the City 2026 : https://www.elcajon.gov/your-government/elected-officials/2026-state-of-the-city

For updates on city events, Follow the City of El Cajon on social media 

Facebook: @CityofElCajon

Instagram : @elcajon.city

Twitter/X: @CityofElCajon