Ryan enters council race as challenger

A Heritage Hills resident and real estate broker has become the first challenger for two seats on the City Council.

Jonathan Ryan announced his candidacy on Monday, saying he was motivated by recent council decisions and disclosures out of City Hall.

Incumbents Jim Cunningham and Barry Leonard had previously announced they will seek new terms in November.

“Living in Poway has been great but the last couple of years, it seems like every week I read something that the city is doing that I don’t agree with,” Ryan wrote is his announcement. “I don’t think the citizens agree with what is happening either. We have a surplus that the council is spending by tearing down and replacing the community center for a cost in excess of $20 million. When citizens requested that the council instead focus on plans to remodel the building, it was flatly rejected by the council members.

“Meanwhile, we cut water use as directed and they hit us with a rate increase,” Ryan continued. “City Manager Dan Singer basically says that we have no other option. Later, we find out that the city cannot read a meter correctly and has been underbilling the Pomerado Hospital for water by $800,000. Would a rate hike be necessary if City Hall was not making these errors?”

Ryan, 45, also expressed displeasure over news that the city has not collected all rent due from SportsPlex in the business park and that Singer attempted to negotiate an arrangement where $10,000 of the amount owed would be given as a donation to the Tony Gwynn Memorial at Lake Poway. He has called for Singer to be suspended.

A strong supporter of the Poway Dog Park in Community Park, Ryan said he recently led an effort to have improvements made to the facility.

Ryan lives on Cayuga Drive with his wife, Karen, and their dog. He has lived in Poway since 2002 and owns The Ryan Realty. His campaign website is ryan4poway.com.