{"id":270013,"date":"2026-04-16T02:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T02:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/270013\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T02:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T02:01:14","slug":"mayors-budget-proposal-protects-police-fire-spending-while-plugging-118m-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/270013\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor’s budget proposal protects police, fire spending, while plugging $118M gap"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"An<\/a>Art groups raised the alarm Wednesday in response to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria\u2019s proposed 2026-27 budget . (File photo by Chris Stone\/Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n

Mayor Todd Gloria is proposing to reduce library and recreation center hours, pause arts and culture funding and scale back bike-lane expansion to balance a $118 million deficit for the upcoming year.<\/p>\n

But his $6.4 billion budget<\/a>, which needs City Council approval before the end of June, protects homeless services and road repairs, while increasing funding for firefighters and police.<\/p>\n

Gloria released his budget proposal for the coming year Wednesday, saying that it makes \u201ctargeted, across-the-board decisions to restore balance and protect the city\u2019s long-term financial health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Translation: It\u2019s full of cuts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gloria said that although San Diegans will feel the city\u2019s cuts, the core services that people prioritized in budgetary discussions and surveys will be preserved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a balanced, responsible budget that confronts a $118 million deficit directly,\u201d the mayor said.\u00a0 \u201cIt makes the tough decisions now \u2013 including targeted reductions to staffing and support functions \u2013 to protect the services San Diegans rely on and keep the city on solid footing.\u201d<\/p>\n

City jobs will be affected, he said, from reducing the current workforce to keeping open positions vacant and cutting back on recruitment and outreach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Public safety continues to take up the lion\u2019s share of the General Fund budget with the San Diego Police Department set to receive $718.6 million and the Fire-Rescue Department, $401.5 million.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the city approaches another difficult budget year, the department approached the discussion by taking a thoughtful look at how we can consolidate resources without sacrificing service levels,\u201d said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mayor blamed the budget shortfall on a drop in transient occupancy tax revenue, combined with increased pension costs and what he called \u201cweaker departmental revenue\u201d and inflationary pressures.<\/p>\n

His proposal includes $76.2 million in expenditure reductions, $26.2 million in labor concessions and $43.9 million in additional revenue and other resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition, savings from cuts to personnel are projected to total $83.71 million in the draft budget.<\/p>\n

The San Diego County Taxpayers Association<\/a>, in a report last week, said their \u201cfinancial health analysis\u201d of the city showed that middle-management positions have jumped from 70 to 393 since 2011. <\/p>\n

Before Gloria publicly released the budget, his Instagram<\/a> account teased that he would target middle management for cuts. Some critics, like the taxpayers association, contend the category has exploded in the past decade<\/a>. Gloria promised 48 management jobs would be cut in the budget proposal while some positions have already been eliminated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the mayor\u2019s plans for personnel cutbacks, labor groups offered support for his budget, which includes 10% raises for employees but some furloughs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michael Zucchet, general manager of the Municipal Employees Association, called it a plan \u201cthat\u00a0makes meaningful progress toward closing the city\u2019s structural deficit, which is in everyone\u2019s interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat matters now is that the city follows through on its commitment to right-size the City\u2019s budget and keeps the conversation going as this process moves forward,.\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though it runs counter to the mayor\u2019s tone of austerity, city spending overall is set to rise 5.2%, or by $318 million. General fund spending, backed mostly by property, sales and transient occupancy taxes, along with franchise fees, will grow to $2.24 billion, up by $71 million, under the mayor\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n

The city council, which challenged the mayor on a number of his proposed cuts during the last budget cycle, hoped to balance the budget based on revenue increases. But some of those plans, including the much-derided Balboa Park parking fee, have gone awry. And Councilmember Raul Campillo plans to propose a revenue cut Thursday by halving special event parking rates in downtown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mayor\u2019s proposed budget is the first step in a process that culminates on June 9,\u201d said City Council President Joe LaCava. \u201cSan Diegans have sent a clear message: Raising revenues to fill the gap is not an option. We must deliver a balanced budget with the limited resources we have and put our city on firmer financial footing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many departments are set for budget increases in some programs, while steep cuts are being sought in others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The transportation department, for example, could see a $10 million rise, with new funds to address the \u201cFatal 15,\u201d the most deadly intersections in the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, that was offset by eliminating the Multi-Modal Program and laying off all its engineers who are in charge of designing \u201ccomplete streets\u201d with bike, pedestrian and intersection safety measures in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne step forward does not enable one step back,\u201d wrote Aria Grossman, policy manager for Circulate Policy & Planning, in a statement on behalf of the Vision Zero Coalition. \u201cThis will bring progress on making San Diego streets safer to a stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coalition argued that funding these engineers\u2019 work is as much part of maintaining public safety by dispatching police officers and firefighters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though the mayor pledged his commitment to protect homeless services, a long-time provider of that care, downtown\u2019s Neil Good Day Center, is on the chopping block. Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe\u2019s Villages, urged him to reconsider Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been aware of ongoing opposition to the Day Center,\u201d he said in a statement, \u201cbut the city has historically prioritized long-term solutions that address homelessness at its root. Moving away from that approach now risks setting back that progress and creating new challenges for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arts groups also were quick to respond to the mayor\u2019s proposal to halt spending on grants for a year, especially as the creative economy has been touted as driving San Diego jobs, livability and tourism. Representatives complained that they are frequently first on the chopping block when budget crises hit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christine Martinez, manager of Arts+Culture:San Diego, warned of \u201cdecimating, long-term consequences for San Diego\u2019s economy and identity\u201d if the council goes along with the arts cuts, noting that the affected organizations \u201care small businesses, employers, educators and community anchors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will make this city hostile to creatives,\u201d said Jessica Baron, founder and executive director of Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom. \u201cThe ripple effects will drag this city down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gloria will present the draft budget in a public hearing during the council\u2019s 2 p.m. Monday meeting.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s the public\u2019s turn. Council members, serving as the Budget Review Committee, will hold a series of hearings from May 4 through 8 to gather residents\u2019 feedback. The mayor plans to release a revised, budget proposal for review on May 13, then the council has until June 30 to approve a final budget.<\/p>\n

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