Introducing The Powegian

By Hiram Soto

Today we are proud to launch ThePowegian.org. 

We are a citizen-driven media platform that advocates for an open, transparent and accountable government in Poway. Our goal is to bring together diverse perspectives about the policies that shape life in the “City in the Country.” We strive to shed light on the issues that matter most through stories written by community members themselves.

If you’ve driven around Poway Road in the last few years, you’ll notice that our city is changing. Massive development threatens to erode our small-town feel, from a giant Amazon warehouse overlooking the south side of the city to four-story buildings and traffic snares throughout the week. 

There are important decisions coming up in the next few years that will impact all of us, including a proposed 40% increase in water rates. This comes as the city’s budget is about to go into the red for the next few years. The city is also currently on the hook for millions of dollars in liabilities for contaminating the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon. 

If this wasn’t enough, we have elections coming up next year, along with a potential abuse of the city’s appointment process. With Council member Dave Grouch getting ready to retire, we can expect the same shenanigans of the past where elected officials appoint a donor and supporter to fill a vacant seat to give them a leg up in November. You might recall that in 2018, Mayor Steve Vaus and the City Council appointed Caylin Frank to represent Poway just three months after she moved to Poway.

With all of this happening, Powegians have few options to express their opinions and perspectives in meaningful ways. What’s worse, local news outlets lack the interest or resources to ask the hard questions and bring transparency and accountability to our local government. 

We aim to change that.

Join us on this journey. If you want an open, transparent and accountable government, we invite you to write an opinion piece or a community story about what’s going on in your neighborhood. For those who want to take a deeper look, we will help you do investigative work. 

Fill out this form or send us an email to editor@thepowegian.org and tell us what you want to write about. Our stories will be delivered via email to Powegians across the city. Subscribe to the Powegian Newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Hiram Soto

Publisher

The Powegian