Complete Biography of Byron Wear

Byron Wear was elected to represent San Diego's 2nd City Council District in November, 1995 and re-elected in June 1998. Council District 2 includes some of the City's most popular tourist destinations, including the Embarcadero as well as vital urban components of the local economy--the San Diego Unified Port District, San Diego's Lindbergh Field, Downtown, Midway/Sport's Arena, San Diego Convention Center and the historic Gaslamp Quarter.

The District spans the coastal communities of Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Point Loma and major portions of La Jolla/Mt. Soledad, Mission Hills, Downtown San Diego, East Village, Park West, Cortez Hill, and Middletown.

The son of a Navy commander, Byron has lived in the 2nd District for more than 35 years, attending area public schools. Byron began his public service career as a San Diego lifeguard and quickly advanced to lifeguard sergeant and lieutenant. He then served four years as the National Executive Director of the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

Always active in his community, Byron chaired an update of the Peninsula Community Plan. As a member of the Peninsula Community Planning Board he fought to save the Famosa Slough, keep Dana Junior High School in public ownership and pushed for a successful aircraft noise reduction program at Lindbergh Field. Byron also served on the Coastal Area Committee of the San Diego City Park and Recreation Board, concentrating on Mission Bay and other projects.

Byron married Bridget Cantu in 1988. They live in Point Loma and have two children - Conrad, age 11 and 8 year old Campbell.

After being sworn into office in December 1995, Councilmember Wear immediately became active in numerous projects in District 2 and throughout the City of San Diego. Major citywide successes include:

  • Being instrumental in redevelopment of the Naval Training Center (NTC)
  • Developing a neighborhood revenue sharing program for parking meter revenue
  • Establishing a storm drain diversion program to keep dry-weather runoff from polluting City beaches
  • Establishing a citywide Coastal Infrastructure and Facilities Fund
  • Establishing the North Bay Redevelopment Area
  • Establishing winter and permanent homeless shelters for targeted populations
  • Expanding Curbside Recycling program citywide
  • Supporting the Convention Center Expansion and Downtown Redevelopment Area
  • Cutting government waste as Co-Chair of committee on Government Efficiency and Fiscal Reform
  • Increasing infrastructure funding for critically needed water, sewer and street projects
  • Supporting a new main library site for Downtown San Diego
  • Being instrumental in North Embarcadero and America's Cup Harbor redevelopment plans
  • Working to cut red tape through analysis and monitoring of Process 2000 by the Land Use & Housing Technical Advisory Committee
Councilmember Wear takes pride in projects that have been completed or are in progress in the neighborhoods of District 2. These projects include:
  • Entryway/median improvements in Ocean Beach, Egger Highlands, Little Italy and Mission Hills
  • Tree plantings in Downtown, Mission Hills, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and Hillcrest/University Heights
  • Park improvements at Amici Park, Mission Bay Park, Mission Beach Boardwalk, South Shores Park, Saratoga Park, Robb Field Skateboard Park, Pt. Loma Park, Plumosa Park, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, Veteran's Plaza in Ocean Beach and South Bay Recreation Center
  • Branch Library construction projects in Pacific Beach, Point Loma and Ocean Beach
  • Increased police presence and various districtwide crime reduction projects including juvenile intervention programs
  • Transportation projects to improve streets, fill potholes, underground utility lines and improve public transit
  • Increased financial support of the City's 6-to-6 Program
  • Educational projects including the reopening of Dana School in Point Loma and new turfing at Ocean Beach Elementary School

Byron Wear served as San Diego's Deputy Mayor for 1998 and 1999 - the first time in thirty years that a member of the City Council has served as Deputy Mayor for two consecutive terms. He currently serves as Chair of the Land Use & Housing Committee, and a member of the Rules, Finance & Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Natural Resources and Culture Committee and Select Committee on Government Efficiency & Fiscal Reform. Byron also serves on the Mayor's Clean Water Task Force, Mayor's Tidelands Advisory Committee, Mayor's San Diego River Park Coalition, Central Interstate 5 Policy Committee, MTDB Mid-Coast Steering Committee and North Embarcadero Alliance Steering Committee.

Byron Wear was recently appointed to the Interim Board of the newly created San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA). Councilmember Wear chaired the Regional Governance Efficiency Commission (RGEC), after serving as chair of the Joint Agency Negotiating Team on Consolidation (JANTOC). He is a city representative to the San Diego Port Commission, Metropolitan Transit Development Board, Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Economic Development Corporation, the city's alternate on the SANDAG Board and MTDB's alternate Ex-Officio member of the SANDAG Regional Planning Committee.

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Copyright 2003 - Wear Community Fund