A group of San Diego City Council members has proposed a compromise budget plan to soften cuts to the arts, reverse cuts to libraries and recreation centers, and restore funding for various programs.
A quartet of San Diego City Council members has proposed a compromise budget plan to soften cuts to the arts, reverse cuts to libraries and recreation centers, and restore funding for various programs.
The proposal, which would need at least one more supporter on the nine-member council, would pay for a long list of budget restorations primarily with new cuts to homeless services and police surveillance efforts. The compromise plan would restore $1.2 million in funding for library hours and $1.7 million for recreation center hours, allowing the city to completely reverse cuts in hours proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria.
The proposal would also add $750,000 to restore a program that helps small businesses, $900,000 to help council offices fund community events, and $200,000 to restore a position devoted to promoting San Diego as a setting for movies and TV. Additionally, the proposal would fully restore the Office of Child and Youth Success with $400,000 in funding.
However, the restorations would be paid for with $3.8 million in cuts to homelessness programs, including by closing the Lighthouse shelter and Central Elementary secure parking lot and shrinking the Newton Avenue shelter. Other sources of funding would be $3 million from cutting middle manager jobs, $2.2 million from canceling automated license plate readers, and $750,000 by implementing two-officer units in the Police Department. Some members of the council have criticized surveillance efforts by city police, including license plate readers.
The proposal would also draw undetermined amounts of money from Measure C, a hotel tax hike that funds the city's convention center and other programs. This money would help restore grants to city arts programs, which are slated for a complete $11.8 million cut in the mayor's proposed budget. The four council members pushing the compromise proposal say they are also seeking other solutions to city arts funding.
They are supportive of and engaging in productive discussions with external philanthropic partners to develop a robust, ongoing strategy for attracting long-term regional and philanthropic support, as well as state funding opportunities to create lasting funding solutions in support of San Diego's arts and cultural institutions. Another potential funding source cited in the proposal is starting to use grants and penalty funds obtained by the city attorney's office to cover general fund expenses.
The proposal would certainly need a fifth supporter to reach majority support on the nine-member council, but it could also need a sixth to potentially override a veto by the mayor
San Diego City Council Budget Cuts Arts Funding Library Hours Recreation Center Hours
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