SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego's City Council unanimously approved a balanced budget Tuesday, closing a $118 million deficit — but not before hours of contentious debate over cuts to arts funding, libraries, and homeless shelter beds.
The approved budget largely reflects Mayor Todd Gloria's May revision, though community pressure and council negotiations led to several significant changes from his initial April proposal.
Kent Lee, San Diego City Council President Pro Tem, acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions leading up to the vote.
"The reality is, we are being asked to make choices. In a city where we don't have the resources, the only difficult thing we get to do is make those choices," Lee said.
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Noah Yee Yick, researcher and policy advocate at the Center on Policy Initiatives, said the final product reflected the impact of community engagement.
"Where the budget started, and where it got to, is a great success and it speaks to community members coming out and speaking," Yee Yick said.
Here are some of the biggest changes between Mayor Gloria's initial April budget proposal and the council's approved June budget:
- Gloria's initial budget cut $12 million in arts and culture grants. The approved budget restores $10.3 million through philanthropic support and by shifting $6 million in Measure C funds
- Up to 250 beds were at risk at the 16th and Newton shelter. That number dropped to just 50, and those beds will be replaced by a Rachel's Promise Center expansion
- $7.8 million in library and recreation center cuts were on the chopping block, impacting hours of operation and threatening to close the North Clairemont Library Branch altogether. About $3.8 million was restored, particularly in underserved communities, and that North Clairemont Library Branch was saved
San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who represents District 9, pushed back on the options presented to the council.
"If the choices being presented are not acceptable, then we need to see alternatives," Elo-Rivera said.
Since only four councilmembers included full restoration of rec center and library hours in their memos, it fell just one vote short of the majority threshold the Independent Budget Analyst uses to make formal recommendations.
Those four also voted to cancel the city's $2 million automated license plate reader contract, but that proposal was also rejected.
“It’s money that’s saying, you all don’t matter as much, we can have these resources drift away from you. We can continue to put them into criminalization and surveillance. So, every dollar does matter. So that $2 million in the $120 (million) it does matter because it’s parking being opened, parks being cleaned, it’s libraries being opened, it’s increased stormwater maintenance that we’re all seeing disappear," Yee Yick said.
San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who represents District 5, pushed back on the idea of redirecting police funding.
"I reject the premise that the only way to have a good park and rec system is by defunding part of our police department," von Wilpert said.
Following Tuesday's vote, Mayor Gloria now has five business days to exercise line-item vetoes. The council can then override any vetoes with a majority vote.
The budget must be codified by June 30.
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