Paid political endorsement letter from Fitz Lee
I support Ricky Hoyt for Coronado City Council because his Navy experience has practical value for the work our city needs to do. I know Ricky as a friend and have had the opportunity to offer him advice along the way. As a retired Navy captain and Coronado resident, I believe he would bring an important perspective to the council.
Coronado’s relationship with the Navy reaches into our daily lives. Decisions made on base affect traffic on our streets, housing plans, aircraft operations, and the waters we share. Our city benefits when its elected representatives understand those decisions and can work effectively with the people making them.
Consider the September 15 City Council discussion of North Island’s SWIFT entry lanes. The Navy’s effort to expedite access prompted a discussion about continuing backups and their effects on nearby neighborhoods. Addressing those problems requires understanding base security and operations while insisting that residents’ access and safety remain part of the solution.
Housing provides another example. Coronado’s certified housing element includes 374 planned Navy housing units in its strategy for meeting state requirements. The city’s 2026 legislative priorities also address how military property, employment, and housing should be counted in future allocations. Productive cooperation with the Navy has consequences for the city’s planning choices.
The sewage crisis presents another shared concern. Contaminated coastal waters affect residents and businesses as well as Navy training. Ricky has publicly called for involving the Navy and Department of Defense in pursuing a permanent solution. That recognizes a common interest the city should continue to develop.
These responsibilities are reflected in Coronado’s own policies. Its 2026 legislative guidelines call for cooperation with the Navy on traffic, aircraft impacts, ocean water quality, and other matters affecting our community. The city also maintains a Naval Complexes Coordinating Group where city and Navy leaders discuss shared concerns in public.
Ricky brings experience directly relevant to that relationship. A Naval Academy graduate, he has served as a naval aviator, instructor pilot, and department head, with much of his Navy career spent at North Island. He understands the operational demands of our bases and knows Navy leaders. His economics education and MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School add useful preparation for evaluating budgets and competing priorities.
The value of that background depends on how it is applied. A councilmember must listen to residents, evaluate staff recommendations, exercise independent judgment, and work with colleagues. Military experience can contribute to that work through an understanding of responsibility, institutional constraints, and the need to follow through.
I believe Ricky can put his experience and relationships to work as an effective advocate for Coronado. He can ask informed questions, recognize opportunities for cooperation, and press for solutions that serve our residents. That is why he has my endorsement.
Fitz Lee
