Lyndes will not seek reelection to council

ENCINITAS — Councilmember Joy Lyndes announced she will not seek reelection this week following the completion of her current term later this year.

Lyndes told The Coast News that the decision is an effort to “push the reset button” amid a period of mixed emotions.

“After having done a lot at City Council, I felt it was time to refocus my time on personal things,” she said.

Lyndes experienced personal loss in 2025 with the death of her husband. In a news release, she described grief as overwhelming at times and thanked those who offered support.

“The community’s kindness carried me through – their walks with me, their meals, their flowers, their steady presence,” she said. “I will always be grateful for the love this community has shown me.”

Lyndes told The Coast News she is proud of the projects and initiatives she has contributed to and looks forward to advancing many of them further during the remainder of her time on the council.

She first served a two-year appointment to the council before being elected as the District 3 representative in 2022. Prior to her appointment, she served six years on the Encinitas Environmental Commission.

During her time on the council, Lyndes advocated for sustainability efforts and other environmental initiatives.

She pointed to her work with the San Diego Association of Governments, SANDAG, as helping preserve what draws people not only to Encinitas, but throughout North County San Diego.

Lyndes currently serves as chair of the SANDAG Regional Habitat Conservation Task Force. She said the city’s “longstanding and fortunate agreement with SANDAG” helps maintain Encinitas’ world-renowned beaches, in part through sand replenishment.

She added that many environmental issues in the area are centered on the beach, including improving water quality and protecting the shoreline.

“I think a lot of why we love to live here is that beautiful shoreline and it doesn’t take care of itself,” Lyndes said.

She has also supported efforts to preserve and expand open space. Through efforts such as the Encinitas Habitat Stewardship Program and the acquisition of Surfer’s Point to be preserved as open space, she said the city has “gone from strength to strength.”

Lyndes told The Coast News she hopes to spend part of her remaining time on the council working to “expand and wrap in other properties” into the Encinitas Habitat Stewardship Program.

Another focus has been addressing housing insecurity and homelessness through coordination with the Sheriff’s Office on public safety and with the city’s Safe Parking Program. Lyndes said she hopes to have a proposal to restructure and reactivate the program ready for council consideration by late January or early February.

She also initiated an emergency action item that led to city policy changes following community outcry over an arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement near Park Dale Lane Elementary School in August. She said the process helped the city better understand the federal agency and improve communication with residents.

“I think it was just the right thing we could do for our community,” Lyndes said. “We’ll keep on trying to keep that communication going. It’s tough.”

Additionally, Lyndes said she looks forward to expanding city conversations with local businesses, including through a recently initiated commission.

“There’s a lot of great stuff to be done and I look forward to doing it,” she said.