Last week, Mayor Todd Gloria used his annual State of the City speech to defend his record and vow to bring big projects across the finish line (hello, Midway Rising).
San Diego City Councilmembers have their own ideas for moving the city forward.
Voice of San Diego asked councilmembers to name their top priorities for the coming year. Those priorities bear little resemblance to the mayor’s agenda. Some go directly against it.
While the mayor touted high-flying developments (hello again, Midway Rising), councilmembers focused on nuts-and-bolts needs in their districts.
Proposals included fixing roads following a massive water pumping project, fully funding police, firefighters and lifeguards, and adding parks and affordable housing to the city’s often-neglected border-adjacent communities.
As for those Balboa Park parking fees, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said he hopes councilmembers can come to a consensus about “repealing” them.
Councilmembers seemed to understand the city faces a trust deficit on top of its money woes. Council president Joe LaCava said he wants to balance the budget with “realistic and sustainable revenue.”
Councilmember Raul Campillo said he plans several proposals “to reinforce his belief that local government exists to serve its residents.”
There were some outlier proposals, such as one from Council President Joe La Cava to enable nonprofits to fund city projects, and an effort by Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera to protect taxi drivers by cracking down on Waymo, the driverless rideshare company whose cars have begun cruising city streets.
You can read the full range of proposals here.
Aguirre Seeks Reserve Funds for River, Benefits Programs
San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre on Tuesday announced she’s seeking up to $65 million in county reserve funds to pay for an array of needs in her South County district.
Speaking at a press conference, Aguirre said she plans to ask fellow supervisors to approve spending $19.25 million from the county’s rainy-day fund to help residents affected by sewage pollution in the Tijuana River, plus an additional $25 to $45 million to make up for federal budget cuts to nutrition and healthcare programs.
Last year, the Board of Supervisors’ Democratic majority voted to unlock millions in reserve funds that formerly had been set aside for economic emergencies.
The supes already used some of that money to pay one-time bonuses to county employees. Now, they’re figuring out how to spend the rest of what’s eligible to spend this year under the county’s updated policy.
Aguirre said she wants to use her district’s portion of the reserves to provide more air purifiers to South County residents plus fix a sewage hot spot on the river that sends hydrogen sulfide and other airborne pollutants into the atmosphere.
A request for $4 million to fund air purifiers is already on the Board’s agenda next week.
Diane Castaneda, a spokesperson for Aguirre, said Aguirre’s current request for reserve funds likely would not be her last. Castaneda said supervisors could spend up to $380 million in reserves over the next three years while still following fiscal guidelines set by the Government Finance Officers Association.
Supervisors likely would seek additional reserve spending next year, Castaneda said.
“This so-called rainy-day money is there,” Aguirre said to a crowd of supporters. “The rainy day is a storm that has arrived, and we are asking for our district to have its fair share.”
In Other News
- The San Diego City College District is putting together plans to raze downtown San Diego’s Golden Hall and replace it with a five-story museum and educational building that could also include student and faculty housing. (Union-Tribune)
- Protesters turned out at downtown San Diego’s Waterfront Park and other locations around the county Tuesday to join a nationwide protest against the Trump administration. (KPBS)
- The Chula Vista City Council on Tuesday adopted a package of compensation changes for police officers intended to help the city boost police ranks at a time when the number of people seeking to join the city’s police force has declined and the department has 28 vacancies.
- inewsource documents the human cost of school closures with a profile of a longtime custodian at Central Elementary School in Imperial Beach, which is one of three schools the South Bay Union School District plans to close in coming years amid declining enrollment.
- San Diego home sales have slowed to a crawl and prices are down amid high interest rates and insurance costs. (Union-Tribune)
- Part of Morena Boulevard was slated to open Tuesday evening after a massive sinkhole closed the busy road at a major intersection last week. (NBC San Diego)
The Morning Report was written by Jim Hinch and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.