About the La Jolla Town Council

A voice for La Jolla.

About

Our History

The La Jolla Town Council is a government association which has served the residents and businesses of La Jolla for over 65 years. The Council, comprised of Trustees, focuses on land management and civic affairs. The Council ratifies zoning, transportation, and quality of life issues for 45,000 merchants and residents of La Jolla, CA.

The Council’s mission is to work proactively as a unifying voice on behalf of the entire La Jolla Community. It meets regularly the second Thursday of the month at 5:15 p.m. at the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect Street. The Town Council is supported entirely through the volunteer memberships of residents and businesses in La Jolla. Various committees conduct the work of the Town Council.

The La Jolla Town Council was chartered in 1950 by the founder of the University of California, Roger Revelle. It has been an active community association which has served the residents and businesses of La Jolla for over 65 years. In addition to serving as a Chamber of Commerce for the Village of La Jolla, the Town Council acts as a Visitor’s Bureau, providing thousands of business referrals to tourists and local residents; and as a Town Hall to debate, reach consensus and solve issues of community concern.

The La Jolla Town Council acts as a liaison with the City of San Diego in matters concerning land use planning, beautification, traffic, parks, beaches, crime and many other vital concerns of our local community. Over 65 years ago, 37 different groups were joined together to form the Town Council. These groups included the Chamber of Commerce, Merchant Association, Hotel Owner’s Association, Civic League, Planning Council and the Conservation Society, to name a few. This was done as an effort to have our concerns heard by the San Diego City Council.

Initially, the Town Council functioned with a Board of Trustees working under the Chairman of the Board and an Operations Committee working under the Town Council President. The various committees would meet and refer their decisions to the Board. The Board of thirty-six Trustees would then approve or deny the items. This eventually became difficult to manage and the current system of eighteen Trustees operating under the Town Council President was adopted.

The La Jolla Town Council is made up of volunteers and community activists of all interests and backgrounds. Many events which are now taking place in La Jolla are spin-offs of our efforts over the years. The La Jolla Half Marathon, Concerts by the Sea, the Firehouse Community Center, and much of the work of the Planned District Ordinance, Promote La Jolla (BID), Rough Water Swim, and Crime Watch Committee, to name a few.

Many thanks to all the volunteers over the years who have worked planting trees, placing benches and trash cans, cleaning up streets and painting out graffiti. Our active community has also rallied with enthusiasm around issues such as parking meters, signage, road construction, building height limits, the seals at Children’s Pool and of course, an issue of national interest, the memorial atop Mount Soledad.

Our Role

The key role of the La Jolla Town Council is to ratify the work of our joint and sub-committees. This work is undertaken in the 30 days prior to the LJTC Meeting. In addition to also providing a voice or the Community in a figurative sense, the Council offers a literal platform for opinion and guidance via Trustee voting. Common topics brought forth for vote among Trustees are in regard to events staged in La Jolla and also community issues that demand the attention of City Council. Unlike the La Jolla Merchant’s Association, which is targeted toward merchants in the Business Improvement Districts, the Town Council supports all community residents and votes on matters that affect the community as a whole. The Town Council feeds into the City Council, and brings local affairs to the attention of the City Council on a monthly basis.

Mission Statement:

The La Jolla Town Council is the town Square of the La Jolla community. A non-profit organization, run by volunteers, elected trustees and an executive committee. The council holds monthly non-partisan meetings where residents and businesses of La Jolla can highlight issues and voice their opinions to the community, the City of San Diego and its representatives. Come join us!