The San Diego City Council is scheduled Tuesday to adopt a budget for the next fiscal year, with several city programs on the chopping block as officials struggle to close a massive deficit.
The shortfall stems largely from inflation, which has increased the cost of everything from purchasing asphalt for road repair to paying city employees, as well as the exhaustion of federal pandemic relief funds.
Mayor Todd Gloria has proposed cuts to several city projects and programs, many of them geared toward low-income communities that have a history of underinvestment from the city. Councilmembers have been negotiating with the mayor's office, as well as with each other, over alternatives.
The city's Office of the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) compiled a report that identified roughly $5.1 million from the city's general fund, plus another $7.8 million of restricted funding, that the council could reallocate toward its priorities.
As the council deliberates a final budget deal, here are a few areas to watch out for:
Assistance for flood victims
The catastrophic flooding that hit San Diego on Jan. 22 displaced hundreds of families, many of whom are still staying in temporary housing, such as hotel rooms, while they await repairs to their damaged homes. The county government has been paying for hotel rooms for flood victims, but funds for the program are due to expire on June 21.
A majority of councilmembers have expressed support for the city extending the program with its own dollars. The IBA report suggests $3.1 million could be spent to keep the program going for another 6 months.
Rental subsidies
The San Diego Housing Commission currently offers low-income households rental subsidies of between $250 and $750 per month through its "Housing Instability Prevention Program." Councilmembers have touted the program as an effective strategy to prevent homelessness.
Mayor Gloria's proposed budget would cap the program at $3 million and would not allow any new participants after families exit the program. The IBA report suggests an additional $1.2 million to increase the program's reach from 260 families to 300.
Homeless shelter funding
Mayor Gloria is pushing the council to sign a lease on a warehouse near Little Italy that he says can add 1,000 beds to the city's homeless shelter system. His budget includes $9.9 million to cover improvements to the property to make it habitable.
The council has held multiple closed-door meetings to discuss the lease terms, but no vote on the deal has been scheduled — a sign that most councilmembers are still not sold on the mayor's mega-shelter proposal.
The IBA report states that if the council cannot agree to a deal on leasing the warehouse, or if the property owner agrees to pay for more of the upgrades himself, the $9.9 million could be redirected to support other needs in the shelter system.
Traffic safety improvements
Advocates for traffic safety have asked the city to fund more low-cost improvements, such as high-visibility crosswalks, to the city's most dangerous intersections. The push comes as San Diego approaches its self-imposed deadline of 2025 to achieve zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets.
City transportation officials have argued that many of the intersections identified by advocates have already received some level of attention, and that more robust safety improvements would require significantly more funding.
The IBA report suggests the council earmark $785,000 to pay for new or modified traffic signals at unsafe intersections where the city is already planning safety upgrades but has not yet allocated funding.
