Major upheavals in the city of San Diego as major product are put in jeopardy by the Council. The Council decided not to support a special election this year for the soccer city development and mission Valley. The Mayor vetoed the Council's decision not to fund the election and yesterday the Council failed to overturn the veto. Here to help us digest the news is political science professor from Mesa College Carl Luna. What stands out to you about all of this political maneuvering over the last week. It is an example of the city being unable to get all of its ducks in a row. It's like the Chargers stating DOD is just déjà vu. It seems like this is a little bit breaking them all. When you say that this is perhaps a higher level of conflict between the mayor and the Council that we have seen for a while. In of tomorrow the game of thrones scenario. Last time there was some attempt to work together as a Council. This time you seem to have a direct divide with the Democrats not wanting to support the special election. It is about as exciting as San Diego politics gets but does not produce anything. A Council President has actually worked with Republicans. Do you get the sense that the mayor may have misjudged. That was certainly the hope of the mayor but Councilman Cole has to worry about getting reelected. They worried about his veto as he mentioned was quite vindictive. Will is have longer-term contract. After move into a couple years of budget negotiations right now the mayor does not have a working majority on the Council. You can end up with things already starting to focus on the next meal election to focus on the demise. Would you say Mayor Faulkner has been considered as a possibility. What you think this setback says about the leadership style. The mayor was not able to broker a deal they have not been able to demonstrate the ground just to get it done. That could weaken him after being Mayor as San Diego Republican. This has been unfolding for months or even years. Are you surprised that the mayor has come up against this roadblock and has gotten himself in this position? Not really. Sandy against in general are tired of this entire charger deal which is probably soured them on sports franchises. They want to address more mundane matters such as part listen homeless -- potholes and homeless. It was the wrong time and for this. If the mayor had pushed for this instead of the charger deal a couple years ago and really tried to get this going maybe there would have been a possibility there. As it is right there -- right now they are trying to break out from being a provincial town. Do you think this reflect is the national trend of increasingly divisive politics? We are starting to see that here although this was less of a partisan issue. It's more of the brass tacks a going for community development neighborhoods potholes and homeless. It is kind of an ideological divide Next week the Council could still decide to automatically approve the soccer city proposal that is one of their options. What is the likelihood that that could happen. Given the vote last night still broken party lines but did not overturn the mayor's veto I would imagine you have votes against that. There's the basic notion that you will put more houses and mission Valley. I do not think this will pass and we may be some desperate -- passing on soccer this time around. So for the voters wondering what is going on what are the chances of having the election. You will not have to worry about going to the polls. You think it is pretty likely that it may end up on the 2018 ballot which is the general election. Convention center and a hotel tax could have a possibility of coming around for 2018. I do not think soccer city will be there. Then again if they get it maybe they will come back with a new package. A lot of unknowns in the balance. Thank you.
Controversial modifications made by Mayor Kevin Faulconer to the city of San Diego's budget for the upcoming fiscal year will stand after a pair of override votes by the City Council failed Tuesday.
On Friday, Faulconer restored $5 million to fund a special election this fall after it was removed from the spending plan by the council several days earlier. The mayor also slashed the office and programs budgets of council members Barbara Bry and Chris Ward, who opposed holding a special election.
Bry, Ward and their allies on the panel, who voted for the override, harshly criticized the mayor for what they called a "vindictive action."
"Actively choosing to punish and target other elected officials — their districts, their communities — for disagreeing with you Mayor Faulconer is something you'd expect from President Trump or even from someone like previous Mayor (Bob) Filner," Councilman David Alvarez said.
Council President Myrtle Cole said she was disappointed with the mayor's changes for the budget, which takes effect July 1.
"This sends a chilling message to all San Diegans that their council member's ability to represent them can be negatively affected by the simple stroke of a pen at budget time," said Cole, who often sides with Faulconer on various issues.
The mayor even came in for rare criticism from Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin, whose office rarely wades into partisan politics.
In a report, Tevlin described the reduction to the council operating and programs budgets as "not a sound action or a good precedent" and one that could weaken the council's equal authority over the budget.
Mark Kersey, a council ally of Faulconer, pointed out that their office budgets vary widely. He said that even with the mayor's reductions, Bry and Ward won't have the lowest level of office and program funding — a distinction held by another Faulconer ally, Chis Cate.
In his comments, Cate said the amount of money he has to work with doesn't impact his office's service to his constituents, who are in Clairemont, Kearny Mesa and Mira Mesa.
Cate, Kersey and Scott Sherman dissented twice to prevent the council from reaching the six votes necessary to override the mayor's modifications. One vote would have completely undone the mayor's action, while the other would have done so partially.
Both failed 5-3, so the budget is now considered to be adopted. Councilwoman Lorie Zapf didn't attend because of a long-standing commitment.
On Monday, the City Council — in an action separate from the budget — nixed the idea of holding a special election for this fall, so the $5 million will remain unallocated.
