We've heard over the past few months that our toughest challenges in Carlsbad include pension reform, Alga Norte Park, traffic congestion, a new Lowe's, Car Country, and Westfield. But what problem is more glaring than a 31.2 percent vacancy rate in our office spaces?

The San Diego County average is 16 percent and the national average is somewhere in the 17-18 percent range.  We have more than double the problem here in Carlsbad.

A Los Angeles Times article from Feb. 16, 1988, reported Carlsbad's office space vacancy rate at 37 percent. The San Diego Business Journal reported in November 2001 a vacancy rate of 21.8 percent while the county average was hovering around 10 percent. And In October of 2007, at the beginning stages of the economic downturn, the North County Times reported an office vacancy rate of over 24 percent in Carlsbad while the county average stood around 14 percent. All of these reports show a consistent and unpromising trend. Carlsbad leaders have failed for over 20 years to solve a problem that was right in front of them.

The cause is simple. Over-development, high fees, a daunting permit process and planning oversight has led to this ugly mess. We can't change the past, but Carlsbad can certainly work to fix a problem it has long been haunted by. Finding a solution will reward Carlsbad with desperately needed new tax revenue and new jobs.

The solution is a bit more challenging. We can begin with reduced fees, a streamlined permitting process, and by building a stronger bond among the city, the Chamber of Commerce and the Carlsbad Village Association.  A task force of residents, city economic development employees and business owners could be formed to tackle what we can do to entice businesses to move to Carlsbad. The process will not be easy—there is 20 years of neglect to clean up—but it is imperative that we start now.

We have a new City Council and a new mayor. Maybe they can finally work together to solve this puzzle.