A new report out this week shows Mayor Kevin Faulconer's proposed fiscal 2016 city budget has plenty to offer San Diegans, but points to some future areas of concern.
The review by Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin highlights expanded citizen services packed in Faulconer's $3.2 billion spending plan.
“This is a very good news budget for our residents," Tevlin said, who has served as IBA since the position was created in 2006.
Tevlin's report, released Monday evening, shows the mayor's spending plan closely matches up with the top budget priorities presented by San Diego City Council members, including increased compensation for San Diego's police officers, more money for park and streetlight repairs and expanded recreation center hours.
"It's a very robust budget, probably the most robust we've seen in many years," she said.
Additionally, Tevlin said the mayor's proposal calls for technology initiatives that will help San Diegans better use the services at City Hall.
But more services, resources and initiatives mean more personnel to carry them out.
The mayor's proposal calls for more than 400 new positions, which Tevlin says is a significant increase for a city budget.
She added, "There are also a lot of hiring challenges to bringing on that many people — time away from jobs to recruit and train, etcetera, so I'm concerned about that."
Tevlin said because the economy is so unpredictable, and tax revenue growth has slowed in recent years, maintaining that many positions could be a challenge down the line.
"It's just a matter of when you raise services, you hope that your revenues stay at that level as well," she said
The report also raised concerns about addressing the city's $2 billion backlog in needed repairs for streets, sidewalks and city buildings.
While Tevlin says the mayor has proposed about $40 million toward some of the deferred maintenance, that's still a far cry from the approximately $2 billion needed. Closing the gap will require a long-term funding plan, she said.
"We need a plan in the very near future--and there’s been a lot of talk about this--but there’s nothing definitive on the horizon," she said.
The San Diego City Council will have its turn to review the mayor's budget proposal in a series of meetings beginning Monday.
