S.D. mayor’s budget proposal shows city’s priorities
The budget for San Diego’s general fund is $2.24 billion. Personnel costs account for two-thirds (or $1.56 billion) of the budget, while funding for the arts is $13.8 million — just over one-half of 1% of the budget.
Addressing the current projected budget deficit, our mayor proposes that $26.2 million in savings come from “labor concessions” and $11.8 million come from arts funding. Personnel expenses are being reduced by less than 2% of their budget, while arts funding is being reduced by 85% of its budget.
Our city budget is a tangible expression of our priorities and values. The initial $13.8 million in the arts budget is barely visible as a line item in the total budget. If the mayor balances the budget according to this plan, the arts budget will be less than one-tenth of 1% of the city budget.
The revised $2 million in arts funding should make the city’s priorities crystal clear: Fortress City Hall remains impregnable and the arts mean virtually nothing.
— Jonathan Scheff
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