Mike Sannella
CA · San Marcos City Council, District 2
Mike Sannella has served on the San Marcos City Council since 2022 and is Deputy Mayor; he spent eight years on the Vallecitos Water District board and works in corporate security and risk management. His top priorities are public safety and easing traffic.
Where Mike Sannella stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (4 records), Housing Affordability (4 records), Social Programs and Welfare (2 records)
Opposes
Environment and Public Health (1 record), Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (3 records)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (1 support · 4 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 1 oppose
Cast the only vote against declaring a Level 2 drought alert for Vallecitos Water District customers. It passed 4-1.
April 20, 2022Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: vwd.org
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 support · 4 oppose
Voted for a 3.2% pay raise for the mayor and council members, tied to inflation. It passed 5-0.
June 23, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Seconded and voted to adopt the city's 2026-27 operating budget and five-year capital projects budget. It passed 4-0.
June 9, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Seconded the motion to put a 1-cent general sales tax on the November 2024 city ballot. The council approved it 5-0, and voters later passed it as Measure Q.
July 9, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to join the Sheriff's Safe San Marcos program and fund automated license plate reader cameras. It passed 5-0.
May 14, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted against an 8% raise for the Vallecitos Water District general manager. It passed 4-1.
December 20, 2017Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: vwd.org
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 4 support
Seconded a change to the city's camping ban aimed at fires in or near homeless encampments. The council advanced it 5-0.
October 14, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Seconded and voted for a council resolution supporting Proposition 36, the state measure raising penalties for repeat theft and drug crimes. It passed 4-1.
September 24, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to adopt a city law banning homeless encampments on city property, enforceable as a misdemeanor. It passed 4-1.
July 23, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to join the Sheriff's Safe San Marcos program and fund automated license plate reader cameras. It passed 5-0.
May 14, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 3 oppose
Seconded and voted for a council resolution supporting Proposition 36, the state measure raising penalties for repeat theft and drug crimes. It passed 4-1.
September 24, 2024Opposes Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to adopt a city law banning homeless encampments on city property, enforceable as a misdemeanor. It passed 4-1.
July 23, 2024Opposes Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to join the Sheriff's Safe San Marcos program and fund automated license plate reader cameras. It passed 5-0.
May 14, 2024Opposes Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Track record — Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability · 4 support
Seconded and voted for the Pacific Specific Plan, which rezoned 33.2 acres of industrial land for 228 condos. It passed 4-0.
July 23, 2024Supports Housing Affordability
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted for a council resolution supporting housing for young adults aging out of foster care. It passed 4-1.
June 11, 2024Supports Housing Affordability
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to apply for state Permanent Local Housing Allocation money and adopt a plan for spending it on housing needs. It passed 4-1.
February 27, 2024Supports Housing Affordability
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted for the Meritage Homes Gran Vista project, a 120-unit condo complex on 7.6 acres rezoned from commercial land. It passed 4-1.
June 27, 2023Supports Housing Affordability
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Track record — Social Programs and Welfare
Social Programs and Welfare · 2 support
Voted for a council resolution supporting housing for young adults aging out of foster care. It passed 4-1.
June 11, 2024Supports Social Programs and Welfare
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted against restarting water shut-offs for unpaid bills on Oct. 1, 2021, once the state's COVID-19 pause ended. The Vallecitos board approved it 3-2.
September 15, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare
Source: vwd.org
Track record — General
General · 12 records
Received the endorsement of outgoing San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones in the 2026 mayor's race.
September 30, 2026
Source: voiceofsandiego.org
Received endorsements for mayor from the Republican Party of San Diego County, Reform California and the San Diego Lincoln Club.
September 30, 2026
Source: kpbs.org
Made the motion to deny a developer's appeal over the Lanikai senior housing project's incomplete environmental review. It passed 3-0, with two members recused.
September 8, 2026
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Received the Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County's endorsement for Mayor of San Marcos.
May 22, 2025
Source: dsasd.org
Was appointed Deputy Mayor of San Marcos for a two-year term by a 5-0 council vote.
January 14, 2025
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to send a resolution opposing large battery energy storage projects back to staff for safety research instead of adopting it. That substitute motion passed 3-2.
September 24, 2024
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Seconded the motion to put a 1-cent general sales tax on the November 2024 city ballot. The council approved it 5-0, and voters later passed it as Measure Q.
July 9, 2024
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Seconded and voted for a city policy setting rules for regional bus-only lanes on San Marcos roads, after SANDAG proposed new bus lanes. It passed 4-1.
February 13, 2024
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted to put City Manager Jack Griffin on paid leave in a closed session. The vote was 3-2, with Jenkins and Nunez voting no.
July 7, 2023
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Won the San Marcos City Council District 2 seat with 3,652 votes (44.8%). Jay Petrek was second with 36.3%, and two others split the rest.
November 8, 2022
Source: legistar2.granicus.com
Voted for a new Vallecitos water rate structure with a 1.77% increase for the average home. It passed 4-0.
September 28, 2022
Source: vwd.org
As Vallecitos Water District board president, voted no when the board chose to pass through only half of a wholesale water cost increase instead of a larger rate hike. It passed 3-2.
September 21, 2016
Source: vwd.org
Past race Mike Sannella ran in:
- Mayor · November 3, 2026 · San Marcos city, California