Though a revised budget proposal from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria walks back the potential complete closure of the La Jolla Recreation Center, it proposes reducing its hours of operation to 40 a week instead of 60. But if the La Jolla Town Council’s May 14 meeting was any indication, local residents are looking for ways to spare the center from any cuts.
Town Council President Mary Soriano turned part of the meeting into an open forum for residents to offer suggestions on the subject amid another trying city budget season, in which officials have projected a $146 million deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Gloria’s initial budget proposal included a scenario in which the 111-year-old La Jolla Rec Center would be shuttered. Under revisions he announced May 13, the center would stay open but for 20 fewer hours per week.
During this budget cycle, public officials have delivered a consistent message: For whatever is preserved from the list of proposed cuts, other cuts must be made to keep the budget balanced.
Last year, budget conversations focused mainly on driving revenue. But San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava said last month that “this year, it’s going to be all about cuts.”
“[The budget] must be balanced per state law,” Joaquin Quintero, LaCava’s field representative, told the Town Council at this week’s meeting. “So if we’re going to increase expenditures … for the Rec Center, we need to cut from something else. That something else would need to be defined.”
Ahead of a budget-centric City Hall meeting set for Monday, May 18, Soriano sought a consensus on what the city should do with Recreation Center hours so she can “speak on behalf of the community” during public comments.
“I think maybe you guys know best when is the optimal time that the local Rec Center is used,” Soriano said.
No consensus was reached on what locals would define as high-volume Rec Center hours. Some suggested that early evenings bring stronger traffic with kids finishing their school day and playing basketball at the center. Others said the facility often is busy in the mornings with pickleball players and others.
A majority of the group said cutting any hours is unacceptable.
“If you cut [hours] by 33%, it’s still not a lot of money,” one resident said of the city’s potential savings. “I definitely don’t think we should just accept this.”
Another resident said “I think we’re still in the stage of resisting a reduction in hours.”
Zak Hidmi, a Town Council board member and a part-time employee at the Rec Center, said it cannot afford to cut any hours. He said reducing the center’s availability would make it a less-attractive destination and could pose a safety risk if employees have less time to manage the space.
Reductions even could result in the center’s eventual demise, he said.
“When you start cutting, it declines,” Hidmi said. “You’re going to have a rec center that’s run-down. What after it’s run-down and no good? What are they going to do?”
A couple of suggestions were offered as possible solutions.
Some forwarded the idea of driving volunteer work at the center. Quintero said there already is a “robust” volunteer program through the Department of Parks & Recreation in which people can sign up online at sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/general-info/employment/volunteer. But he said a contingent of volunteers would not be able to restore Rec Center hours alone.
Another suggestion seemed to stick. Resident Dona Aumann said residents could band together to raise funds to close the hours gap.
There is precedent for such a fundraiser in La Jolla. Last year, local donors stepped in to preserve the La Jolla/Riford Library’s Monday hours after budget cuts threatened to eliminate them.
Alan Dulgeroff, president of the La Jolla Community Recreation Group, the local advisory board for the Rec Center, previously estimated that closing the center would result in a budget reduction of $231,975. Aumann suggested the community raise about a third of that.
“Give us a chance to make up the deficit,” Aumann said. “Instead of saying what we can’t do and what we won’t do, let’s find a solution as far as how we can proceed and get the job done.”
Soriano said she would take the idea to the city.
Other Town Council news
County races: The meeting featured candidates for San Diego County Superior Court judge and county treasurer-tax collector getting a chance to pitch themselves to the community.
Nicole D’Ambrogi, Tia Ramirez, Adam Noakes and Jodi Cleesattle appear at the May 14 La Jolla Town Council meeting to discuss their candidacy for Superior Court judge seats. (Noah Lyons)
The four Superior Court candidates who spoke were Jodi Cleesattle and Adam Noakes, who are vying for Office No. 31, and Nicole D’Ambrogi and Tia Ramirez, who are seeking Office No. 32. David Gallo, who also is running for Office 32, was not present.
Shirley Nakawatase and Joel Anderson, who are running for San Diego County treasurer-tax collector, spoke at the La Jolla Town Council’s May 14 meeting. (Noah Lyons)
Treasurer candidates Joel Anderson and Shirley Nakawatase also appeared. Victor Roy, who is seeking the same position, spoke at the previous Town Council meeting.
Next meeting: The La Jolla Town Council next meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at the Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. Learn more at lajollatowncouncil.org. ♦