The hits just keep on coming.
A new projection says San Diego’s municipal revenue will be down $60 million this year. That’s partly because fewer people are buying things — and paying taxes — and fewer tourists are visiting town.
As we report, “The picture is so gloomy the city will need to find almost $10 million between now and July to meet its goal of having 7 percent of its operating budget in reserves.”
What does it all mean? “Combined with the budget cuts needed for the 2011 budget, the city needs to find tens of millions in the next few months to balance the city’s accounts and budget,” reporter Liam Dillon says.
In other news:
- Have you got questions about San Diego’s school budget? The district’s top financial guru is in the house and ready to answer them.
- Here’s something to ask him about: Under a tentative agreement, San Diego teachers will get unpaid days off to help the school district balance its budget.
But, as we report, “there were wins for the teachers union too: Stricter rules to control class sizes. Longer lag time between evaluations for senior teachers with good records. Teachers and other educators will ultimately get their salaries restored, plus a 7.16 percent salary increase in 2012-2013.”
- We’ve been boosting our science coverage in recent weeks, bringing you more stories about local research. Our latest story looks at a San Diego biotech that’s exploring a possible new treatment for a little-known condition that causes people with cirrhosis of the liver to develop mental confusion.
- Also in science, we check out perspective and a request to hear about your experiences with them.
- We Fact Check a graphic on the city’s website depicting notable drops in crime every year.
The city concedes it’s not accurate, but that’s not the point. It’s just a conceptualization that shouldn’t be taken seriously, says the mayor’s spokesman.
“To be clear,” as our Fact Check puts it, “it’s a conceptualization that makes crime levels look better than reality.”
While you’re in the Fact Check mood, check out the latest episode of Fact Check TV.
- The Photo of the Day captures some “flying rats” in motion downtown.
I’m intrigued by the building in the picture. If you’re the first to identify it in an e-mail to me, I’ll give you a shout-out by name in tomorrow’s Morning Report.
Elsewhere:
- Update in the Chelsea King case: The U-T has an interview with the mother of a young woman who was attacked last December in a case that may be linked to King’s disappearance.
- The student who inflamed UCSD by leaving a noose in a campus library has come forward, anonymously, to say she’s a minority herself and had no racist intent. You can read her letter here. (UCSD Guardian)
- The U-T reports: “Pam Slater-Price, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors, failed to report 20 tickets she received as gifts from the San Diego Opera and the Old Globe Theatre, arts groups she was funding with repeated six-figure grants of taxpayer money.”
- Hotels.com says the average hotel room price in San Diego dipped 18 percent from 2008 to 2009, landing at $127.
San Diego is still one of the most expensive cities in the U.S., but behind Seattle, Chicago, Miami and Santa Barbara, among several others.
- Finally, the town of La Jolla is once again exploring how it could split itself from San Diego and become its own city.
Town elders have been batting this idea around for at least two decades, but nothing has ever come of it. The major obstacle: Under current law, San Diego city leaders would have to approve a split. And there’s no way they’d let their wealthiest seaside enclave wander off.
Then there’s the matter of alimony. Would La Jollans have to pay the city a settlement in a divorce? The prospect must be making some 92037 denizens wish they’d gotten a pre-nup.