San Diego Public Advocate Shane Harris announcing his proposed ordinance as the mayors look on in support. (Photo courtesy of Harris’s office)
Mayors and elected officials from across the county stepped into a city of San Diego policy fight Monday, opposing the city’s newly implemented paid parking program at Balboa Park and backing a proposed ordinance that would permanently repeal the fees.
The coalition joined San Diego Public Advocate Shane Harris at a news conference outside the San Diego Air & Space Museum, marking the first time regional leaders have collectively weighed in on a municipal issue centered on the park.
Harris said their involvement reflects growing concern that the city’s parking system unfairly targets residents who live outside San Diego city limits and are charged a higher parking rate.
“Balboa Park, although it’s owned by the city, it doesn’t just belong to the city, it belongs to county residents,” Harris said.
“Their (mayors) residents in Chula Vista, San Marcos and Escondido and La Mesa use this park. Their families in El Cajon visit this park. Their kids travel here to learn and they are saying clearly, their residents are not tourists and they should not be treated like they are.”
Under the current system, visitors who do not live in the city of San Diego pay a higher hourly parking rate. Harris and the mayors said the policy effectively penalizes county residents who regularly use the park for school trips, museum visits, veterans events and family outings.
Harris unveiled a fully drafted ordinance written by his office that would permanently eliminate paid parking in Balboa Park, remove meters and enforcement mechanisms, and restore free public parking. He also launched a countywide calling and emailing campaign urging residents to pressure City Councilmembers Sean Elo Rivera, Kent Lee and Henry Foster to bring the ordinance forward for a vote.
SAN DIEGO! THIS IS HOW WE WIN.
If we want to repeal paid parking in Balboa Park, these are the three San Diego City Councilmembers we need. Call their offices every day and tell them to support the ordinance to repeal paid parking and restore free access to our park. These… pic.twitter.com/yOTzk0msGc
— Shane Rashad Harris (@shaneharrisnow) January 12, 2026
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, who leads the county’s second-largest city, said the fees disproportionately affect working families and seniors who rely on the park as a regional destination.
“Thousands of residents in Chula Vista come with their families to visit Balboa Park every year. Whether they are veterans, seniors, on school trips – they are incredibly affected by this parking fee,” McCann said.
“Balboa Park is a regional asset and just like the city of Chula Vista has regional assets we share and we go ahead and maintain those assets for the entire South County and the entire San Diego County. Our residents in Chula Vista should not be treated like tourists or visitors in the next city. I believe all San Diego County residents should not be treated like outsiders.”
San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones said cities across the county are facing rising costs but should focus on efficiency rather than passing new fees onto residents.
“In San Marcos, what we did is we created a lean department,” Jones said. “You know all of us are feeling the crunch of how expensive everything is to build, to maintain, as expenses go up, cities are affected as well.
“Our lean department – leading, efficiency, accountability and engagement – is so important because they are actually proactive, finding ways to save money in our processes. I would implore all of the cities in the county including San Diego to take a look at a lean department – to think outside the box.”
El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells criticized what he described as a broader pattern of inequity in regional funding and taxation.
“My people are already being taxed without representation,” Wells said. “So I think we’re paying more than our share.”
Harris also questioned the city’s justification that parking fees support park maintenance.
“Mayor Todd Gloria is lying to the people,” Harris said in a statement before the news conference. “The little resources gathered through the paid parking scheme in Balboa Park do not go toward park maintenance but rather toward the budget deficit debt that the city is in — and everyone knows it.”
Harris said more than 1,500 people have signed his repeal petition in just a few days, and at least 13 mayors across the county have pledged support.
The news conference comes amid mounting backlash to the paid parking program, which went into effect last week. City officials have acknowledged widespread confusion over signage, malfunctioning meters and unclear instructions for obtaining resident discounts. Some parking meters have been vandalized, including with expanding foam in payment slots.
Councilmembers Lee and Elo-Rivera issued a joint statement last week calling for the city to suspend the fees until further notice, citing a “disjointed rollout” and lack of clear public information.
“The fact that these critical steps are being taken at the last minute, including the signs, which won’t be ready for days if not weeks, shows a clear example that this program is not yet ready for prime time,” the statement said.
Mayor Todd Gloria’s office quickly rejected the proposal, saying a suspension would have “immediate and serious fiscal consequences” and could undermine the program. The city has announced a temporary grace period for enforcement, though officials have not said when it will end.
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