Downtown San Diego looking west. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
Mayor Todd Gloria is spreading the word about a national survey that shows 76% of San Diego residents are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their city.
According to Gensler Research, San Diego ranks second in “satisfaction with their city as a place to live,” trailing only San Antonio with a 78% score.
But Axios, which published the results, cautioned that “satisfaction” is a “broad” term, defined as “a general vibe check on how people are feeling about job opportunities, housing costs, safety and other key urban issues.”
And the survey’s methodology reveals a very significant — even disqualifying — limitation: The poll was conducted more than a year ago, from July 18 to Nov 24, 2024.
Since then, there’s been a flurry of activity at City Hall, and most of it is having a negative impact on our personal finances.
New fees and costs include:
Paid parking in Balboa Park, the Zoo, and the streets around the park.
A doubling of parking meter rates everywhere, to $2.50 an hour, and up to $10 an hour in the Gaslamp and other parts of downtown during “special events.”
Thousands of “daylighting” citations issued to unsuspecting motorists who’ve parked. within 20 feet of a curb. Worse, many of those curbs are not painted red, and there’s no signage warning against parking.
The imposition of a monthly trash collection fee double the city’s official estimate.
A 31% increase in the cost of water over the next two years, and an additional 31% increase in sewer fees over the coming four years.
There are other, very credible barometers of the negative impact these new fees and costs are having on our “satisfaction” with local government.
An Axios story about a possible ballot measure to increase the sales tax includes a recent survey of San Diego city voters by FM3 Research found that 62% of voters feel the city is “on the wrong track,” compared to 22% who think we’re headed in the “right direction,” and 16% who “don’t know”.
And a nationwide 2025 study by the Milken Institute delivered similarly sobering results. Among cities with more than 275,000 residents, San Diego ranks 71st in “best performance.” This analysis compares job and wage growth, housing affordability, high-tech concentration, and other economic benchmarks.
San Diego’s ranking in this Milken Institute study is 34 places lower than last year, when we ranked 37th. (The top cities this year are Raleigh, NC, and Ogden and Salt Lake City, UT.)
Lastly, a local activist shared with me the results of a recent poll by a reputable survey firm: 66% percent of local voters disapprove of the trash fee, and more than 80% reject the imposition of paid parking in and around Balboa Park.
Setting the polls aside and listening to the vox populi, there’s overwhelming anecdotal evidence that San Diegans forcefully reject the mayor’s embrace of a year-old “general vibe check” that portrays 76% of us as “very satisfied” (or even just “satisfied”).
Reviewing the “most relevant” of the 169 comments on the Mayor’s Facebook post, not a single one gives the Mayor a shred of credit for any “satisfaction” they might have with our city.
And those who reject the survey results posted some scorching responses:
“Satisfied with what?” asked Ken McDonnell. “A new $550 charge on property tax bills? Yeah, that should help with affordability. Increasing parking fees should too.”
Heather Crichton told the Mayor, “Don’t take credit for the sunshine and ocean vibes, Todd!! We aren’t satisfied with local government, roads, taxes, nor the cost of living.”
And Carlos Ayala echoed a prevailing sentiment: “We’re satisfied with San Diego because of where it is on the map, not because of the clowns in charge.”
Paul Krueger is a retired journalist and founding member of Neighbors for a Better San Diego.
READ NEXT