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San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders’ spokesman denied the mayor was working on a joint financial reform package with City Councilwoman Donna Frye.
“This is certainly news to us,” mayoral spokesman Darren Pudgil said in a text message.
In a subsequent message, Pudgil said there were no plans for a package with Frye.
But Lani Lutar, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association president and CEO, told me earlier a plan was in the works.
Lutar just met with Frye and said the councilwoman told her that Sanders would be signing onto her original proposal with perhaps minor modifications.
“She confirmed it with me,” Lutar said.
Any major changes to Frye’s effort, which mixed a sales tax increase with a nine cost cutting reforms, would come at a public meeting now scheduled for Friday morning.
Frye and Councilman Todd Gloria just released a refined plan specifying earlier dates for some of Frye’s proposed reforms to be accomplished and changing others — including eliminating a requirement that the city’s landfill be privatized. It also establishes criteria for determining if the targeted reforms are met, using judges or the city’s auditor as independent evaluators.
City leaders are racing against an Aug. 6 deadline to put items on November’s ballot.
— LIAM DILLON