SAN MARCOS — Dozens of residents gathered at the San Marcos Senior Center on Sunday for the annual State of the City address, where Mayor Rebecca Jones and San Marcos Unified School District Superintendent Andy Johnsen provided updates on ongoing projects and initiatives.
The event was bittersweet for Jones, who will be leaving her post at the end of the year after nearly 20 years of service on the City Council, including eight years as mayor. In November, she will face Democratic candidate Kyle Krahel in the race to succeed San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond in District 5.
“After serving our community for 20 years, I’m really excited to look around this room and see all the people that have helped shape our community,” Jones said. “It has been such an honor to serve each one of you.”
Jones, a Republican, said San Marcos has a city government that people can rely on, whether it comes to planning for future needs, responsibly using Measure Q sales tax dollars, or upgrading roads to improve traffic flow.
“The state of our city isn’t defined by one new building or one new project. It’s defined by a city that keeps its promises to its residents, a city that takes care of what it has, a city that plans ahead, and perhaps most importantly, a city that continues to feel like home,” Jones said.
Jones applauded the city for its recent adoption of a balanced 2026-27 budget, thanks in part to revenue from the one-cent Measure Q sales tax approved by voters in 2024. Measure Q funds are being used for the new Fire Station 5, road and infrastructure maintenance, public safety equipment upgrades, updates to local parks, and various other items. 
She said the city is also committed to finding outside funding and grants whenever possible, such as $5 million in state funding awarded by Assemblymember Darshana Patel this year for improvements at six different parks.
Jones highlighted several city projects from the past year, including HVAC upgrades at the senior activity center, upgrades to play structures at various parks, and the replastering of the Woodland Park Pool.
Other major upcoming projects include the new Fire Station 5 at the corner of Las Posas Road and Armorlite Drive, which will break ground at the end of this year, and the arrival of a new medical center by Scripps Health in the North City area at the corner of Twin Oaks Valley Road and Discovery Drive.
“This is going to be one of the most significant projects in our city’s history, a nearly $2 billion investment,” Jones said of the Scripps Medical Center.
Later this year, the city will conduct its annual paving project along 21 miles of roads. The city is also finishing work on the extension of the left-turn lane on San Marcos Boulevard near San Marcos High School, which Jones said will be the first phase in a larger improvement project along the boulevard.
“We’re in phase 1 of traffic improvements along San Marcos Boulevard, which is important to everyone, of course, who goes through our city,” she said.
Jones noted that improvements are also underway at the former Restaurant Row site, which is being developed with housing, new commercial space and a new park. The city is also in the process of updating the Creek Specific Plan, first adopted in 2007, to lay the groundwork for a new arts and entertainment hub in the San Marcos Creek District. 
Jones also recognized the work of past city officials who helped to shape the city into what it is today. She specifically called out Pia Harris-Ebert, the first woman elected to the San Marcos City Council in 1982, who went on to serve for 24 years, and who was present in the audience.
“So much of what we’re highlighting today didn’t happen overnight. People like Pia, they did the hard work, and many of the opportunities we’re seeing now, here today, were imagined by community leaders decades ago,” Jones said.
Jones is headed to the General Election in the supervisor race after a strong showing in the June Primary, where she surpassed fellow Republican North County mayor John Franklin of Vista.
Either Jones or Krahel will succeed Desmond, a Republican who is termed out of office and is facing off against Marni von Wilpert for the 48th Congressional District in November. Desmond was Jones’ predecessor as San Marcos Mayor, and also attended the State of the City address.
The 2026 State of the City also included an update on the state of education in the San Marcos Unified School District.
Johnsen said in just a few weeks, the district’s 19 elementary, middle and high schools will have their classrooms filled with around 19,000 students for the start of the new school year.
Many students will be participating in one of the district’s 17 different Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways focused on preparing students for various careers. There are pathways for education, computer science, criminal justice, culinary arts, health care, woodworking and engineering, to name a few.
“When I was in school, we spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to be someday. Today’s students have the opportunity to begin becoming those things while they are still in school,” Johnsen said.
Work is also underway throughout the district to update various campuses and facilities, including the Knob Hill Elementary rebuild, the Woodland Park Middle School restoration, and the Paloma Elementary renovation.
These projects are funded with Measure JJ bonds, approved by voters in the school district in 2024.
Johnsen said the $94 million Knob Hill project is on schedule, and students will begin moving into the new buildings in December. The project involves reconstructing all the buildings, replacing portable classrooms with permanent buildings, and reconfiguring the site.
The $105.2 million Woodland Park Middle restoration is crucial to updating the campus, which Johnsen said was originally designed as an elementary school, into a modern learning environment for middle schoolers.
“Innovative teaching deserves innovative learning environments,” Johnsen said.
He noted that the district’s efforts are also being recognized on the state and national level. San Elijo Middle School was recognized as a 2026 California Distinguished School, Twin Oaks High School was recognized as a 2026 California Model Continuation School, and San Marcos Elementary School was recognized last year as one of America’s healthiest schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for its support of staff wellbeing.
