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Last week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria released his proposed budget for the city’s next fiscal year.
VOSD hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Sara Libby — along with a lot of other folks in the city — have been digging into it to suss out where the mayor stands on police and other major city services.
Gloria’s plan includes a $19 million increase in the police department’s budget. After that fact came to light, his deputy chief of staff said there wasn’t a choice in the matter; it’s a result of pension obligations.
On the podcast, Lewis, Keatts and Libby explain the long, winding history of pensions in the city of San Diego, how police play a part and what’s at the root of the police funding argument. Do police reform activists advocating to “defund the police” truly want fewer officers — or just to change how police interact with residents? Will elected officials do anything substantial this budget cycle to change how police do their job?
Money on the Table
When the pandemic hit last year, it left a lot of people struggling to make ends meet and keep up with rent.
The San Diego Housing Commission — a sort of quasi city agency — got $90 million to hand out to San Diegans to help them keep up with rent if they met the commission’s criteria.
But commission members say they’re worried they won’t be able to spend all the money. And they worry people could get evicted with money still left on the table. Lewis, Keatts and Libby review the data available, where the rent relief is going and how any money could be left over during an economic crisis and soaring homelessness numbers.
Heads Up
Last week, we plugged an event dedicated to the San Diego city budget. VOSD’s Lisa Halverstadt hosted the discussion. It was good, and you’ll like it.
Watch the city budget discussion here.
When you’re done with that, check out Halverstadt’s report on San Diego City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera’s comments. He said he wants to end an old ordinance to bring in new cash.