Cheryl Cox

Cox was born Cheryl Willet. She was born in Florida. She is the daughter of retired United States Navy Officer, John Willett.{{cite web |title=Biography of Chula Vista school board member, mayor, Cheryl Cox |url=http://sandiegoeducationreport.com/cherylcoxbio.html |website=sandiegoeducationreport.com |publisher=San Diego Education Report |accessdate=25 September 2020}}{{cite web |title=Full Biography for Cheryl Cox |url=http://www.smartvoter.org/2010/06/08/ca/sd/vote/cox_c/bio.html |website=www.smartvoter.org |accessdate=26 September 2020}} Cox moved to Virginia, before later moving to San Diego County, California.

Cox, and her husband of 30 years, San Diego County Supervisor and former Chula Vista Mayor Greg Cox, had two daughters, Elizabeth and Emmie. Both Cheryl and her two daughters graduated from Chula Vista's Hilltop High School.{{cite web | url= http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070101-9999-1n1coxes.html | title= How much clout does Cox combo carry? | accessdate= 2008-02-21 | publisher= SignOnSanDiego.Com}}

Cox received a bachelor's degree from the University of San Diego, a master's degree in political science from San Diego State University and a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California.

She worked for 30 years as a teacher, principal, and administrator in the Chula Vista Elementary School District;{{cite web |title=Mayor; City of Chula Vista Election Information November 7, 2006 Election |url=http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/sd/race/076/ |website=www.smartvoter.org |accessdate=22 September 2020}} she was also an assistant professor at National University before being elected to the Chula Vista Elementary School District Board of Trustees in 2000.{{cite web |title=Full Biography for Cheryl Cox |url=http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/sd/vote/cox_c/bio.html |website=www.smartvoter.org |accessdate=24 September 2020}}

Cox served as a member of the City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission, Nature Center Board of Trustees and the President of the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Board of Directors. Her membership of the Chula Vista Charter Review Commission began in 2002. Her membership of the Chula Vista Medical Center Board of Directors lasted nine years, and included a stint as its president.

Cox also served on Chula Vista's Ad Hoc Committee for Campaign Finance Reform, which made revisions to clarifications to the city's campaign finance regulations which were adopted by its city council. From 2003 through 2005, Cox was an inaugural member of an independent ten-member Urban Development Committee which created a recommended plan of how the city could productively use redevelopment to its advantage, submitting its plan to the Chula Vista City Council in 2005.

Cox, a Republican, was elected the 39th mayor of Chula Vista, the second largest city in San Diego County, in November 2006 in a runoff vote against incumbent mayor Steve Padilla. In the June 2006 primary election, she garnered 40.5% of the vote to then-mayor Steve Padilla's 30.8%, and Councilman Steve Castaneda's 24.8% of the vote. With no candidate securing a majority of the vote, the top two finishers, Cox and Padilla, advanced to a runoff, which Cox won.

In the election, Cox received endorsements from the Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County, Lincoln Club of San Diego, and San Diego County Apartment Association.{{cite web |title=Additional Endorsements for Cheryl Cox |url=http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/sd/vote/cox_c/endorse.html |website=www.smartvoter.org |accessdate=22 September 2020}} In addition to these organizations she was endorsed by several Republican politicians, including her husband Greg Cox, Shirley Horton, Darrell Issa, George Plescia, Mark Wyland.

File:America's Cup World Series (3).jpg and other elected officials]]

While mayor, Cox was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,{{cite web|url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912095606/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |archivedate=2007-09-12 }} an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

During Cox's first term, major setbacks were dealt to the city's important waterfront redevelopment plan.

Also during Cox's first term, there were negotiations with the San Diego Chargers, which was considering building a stadium i the city. However, leadership of the team began publicly feuding with Cox, which openly made it clear that they preferred to negotiate with city councilman John McCann over Cox, with the team's Special Counsel Mark Fabiani going as far as to deride Cox as a "weak mayor in a weak-mayor city".

The city experienced financial difficulties during Cox's tenure, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.{{cite web |last1=Carless |first1=William |title=Cheryl Cox's Troubled First Term |url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/cheryl-coxs-troubled-first-term/ |website=Voice of San Diego |date=10 May 2009}} A 1% citywide tax increase she had supported to help resolve the city's finances was heavily defeated by voters in May 2009, receiving 32.5% support and 67.5% opposition at the special election held on the measure.

Cox had success in raising the city's credit rating.{{cite web |title=Cheryl Cox focused on fiscal fitness for Chula Vista |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-cheryl-cox-focuses-on-fiscal-fitness-for-chula-2014dec06-story.html |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |accessdate=26 September 2020 |date=6 December 2014}}

Despite the troubles of her first term, Cox, won re-election for Mayor in the June 2010 Primary election in a three-person race by winning 56.3% of the vote, her opponent Councilman Steve Castaneda garnered 29.6% and Jorge Dominguez received 13.6% of the vote.

In April 2007, the Public Integrity Unit of San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis began prosecuting political opponents of Cheryl Cox. Patrick O'Toole, who had previously been appointed as US Attorney for San Diego by Attorney General John Ashcroft, headed the unit. O'Toole prosecuted a staffer for mayor Steven Padilla who had taken two hours off work in an effort to get a photograph of Cheryl Cox with her disgraced family friend David Malcolm{{Cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070520/news_1m20piu.html|title=The San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego, California & National News|date=9 December 2024 }} at a twilight yacht party fundraiser for Cox. The staffer was charged with five felony counts of perjury for telling a grand jury that he filled out his leave slip from work before rather than after he took off from his job at the City of Chula Vista. He pleaded guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea deal.{{cite web| url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070520/news_1m20piu.html| title=DA unit works as quietly as it began| date=9 December 2024}}

The now-dormant unit ended its active phase with a second and final prosecution, that of Steve Castaneda, who had run against Cheryl Cox for mayor. Castaneda was prosecuted for allegedly lying about whether he planned to buy a condo, even though he never bought the condo in question. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, "Castaneda was a tenant at the complex and was accused of seeking favors, such as free rent, from Sunbow owner Ash Israni, according to the 1,200-page grand jury transcript. The investigation found that Castaneda paid his rent and didn't ask for special treatment. O'Toole told the grand jury the perjury charges are warranted because Castaneda should be held accountable for 'lying about the facts'; even if no crime was uncovered...Castaneda has been vocal about O'Toole's investigations, saying they are politically motivated. He contended that Dumanis conspired with Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox, his political rival in the 2006 mayoral primary."{{cite web| url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070923/news_1m23casta.html | title=Trial and Re-election bid could coincide| date=9 December 2024}}

In April 2014, questions were raised about political interference by San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis in that election. In late 2005 Steve Padilla received a phone call from Dumanis asking him to support her employee Jesse Navarro for city councilman. Mr. Padilla did not comply. The phone call raises questions about possible political motivations for the ensuing prosecutions of a staffer of Steve Padilla and of Steve Castaneda.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/apr/21/revelation-05-call-raises-new-questions-about-da-d/|title=Phone Call Raises Questions About DA Dumanis' Chula Vista Investigations|first=Amita|last=Sharma|website=KPBS Public Media|date=21 April 2014 }}

• Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce's Leadership and Involvement Award (2007)
• Hilltop High School Hall of Fame inductee (2007)
• San Diego Urban Corps' Kate Session Environmental Award (2007)
• Building Owners and Managers Association Public Official of the Year (2008)
• California Women's Leadership Association Trailblazer Award (2008)
• Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce Presidential Award (2009)

• [http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sd/vote/cox_c/bio.html Full biography for Cheryl Cox] www.smartvoter.org accessed 2006-12-30
• [http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sd/vote/cox_c/ Voter Information for Cheryl Cox] www.smartvoter.org accessed 2006-12-30
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061207175247/http://www.ci.chula-vista.ca.us/City_Services/Mayor_Council/Mayor/default.asp Mayor Cheryl Cox] City of Chula Vista accessed 2006-12-30
• [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20060222-9999-6m22coxrun.html County official's wife aims to serve] SignOnSanDiego.com by Shannon McMahon The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer, February 22, 2006, accessed 2006-12-30
• [http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sd/race/084/ Election results] www.smartvoter.org accessed 2006-12-30
• [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070520/news_1m20piu.html DA unit works as quietly as it began] By Tanya Mannes May 20, 2007 San Diego Union Tribune accessed 2008-1-26

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061021095002/http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20061013-9999-6m13cvmayor.html Padilla criticizes Cox's record on test scores, finances, secrecy] By Tanya Mannes UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER October 13, 2006 www.signonsandiego accessed 2007-1-6
• [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20061019-9999-6m19cox.html New authority figure Ex-teacher wants to bring a 'sense of order' to council] By Tanya Mannes UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER October 19, 2006 www.signonsandiego accessed 2007-1-5
• [http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/2006/november03-06/padilla.htm Steve Padilla is the Best Choice to Lead Chula Vista into the Future] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418174554/http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/2006/november03-06/padilla.htm |date=2012-04-18 }} November 3, 2006 Editorial (Daniel Muñoz, editor) La Prensa San Diego laprensa-sandiego.org accessed 2007-1-6
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071110161954/http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/04/shocked_shocked.html SHOCKED, SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT POLITICS TOOK PLACE IN THAT GOVERNMENT OFFICE] By Bill Cavala April 3, 2007 California Progress Report www.californiaprogressreport.com accessed 2007-4-18

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Category:Living people

Category:1949 births

Category:Mayors of Chula Vista, California

Category:Women mayors of places in California

Category:21st-century American women

Category:Hilltop High School (Chula Vista, California) alumni

Category:University of San Diego alumni

Category:San Diego State University alumni