Not all of the city's libraries and recreation centers will be fully funded, but the use of Flock automated license plate reader technology will continue in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget passed by the San Diego City Council.
The budget is still subject to Mayor Todd Gloria's veto or line-item veto before the state-mandated deadline of June 15, but the unanimous decision late Tuesday by the council following hours of public comment and last-minute council debate set a strong example for the administration.
Coming into Tuesday's meeting, amendments proposed to Gloria's May budget revision by Budget Chair Councilman Henry Foster III included full libraries and rec center restorations, a public-private partnership to restore arts funding previously slated to be cut and the defunding of the $2 million ALPR contract with Flock.
"We started this process with about a $120 million structural deficit," Foster said, blaming past cities leaders for decades of mismanagement. "A budget cycle demands tough discussions and tough decisions. This proposed budget has made progress."
The last item proved a sticking point with five of the nine-member council, with several questioning the honesty of juxtaposing funding libraries against license plate readers.
"License plate readers being directly opposed to children and families is a false comparison and is being done deliberately," Councilman Raul Campillo said. "Criminals who have beat families to death in my district have been caught by this. Who here wants to go tell those families 'no, your family doesn't get justice?"'
Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert said there "would be consequences" to defunding the ALPR "Smart Streetlights" contract. Council members Sean Elo-Rivera and Vivian Moreno were concerned with the technology collecting private information amid increasing federal involvement in San Diego through Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and other agencies.
Ultimately, the Flock contract was left untouched, some library hours were restored — in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9 — and multiple recreation centers had hours fully restored — Pacific Highlands Ranch, Nobel Athletic Fields, Robb Athletic Field, Canyonside, Doyle, Carmel Valley, Mira Mesa, Hourglass Field and Standley.
Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee said he was tired of cuts being proposed to libraries, arts, culture and other city services every year.
"If this were a year where resources were abundant, I would choose to fund all of these initiatives," he said. "It has frustrated us to be repeatedly told that these cuts are 'inevitable,' only for us to find other solutions."
Last week, Lee was joined by Foster III with County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe and representatives of the Prebys Foundation to announce a public-private proposal to restore San Diego's arts funding, which would have the foundation put up $3 million for arts and culture programs slashed in the current proposed budget.
The council adopted recommendations from the city's Independent Budget Analyst's office to shift $6 million from San Diego's Transient Occupancy Tax — essentially a hotel tax — to arts programs, as well as restore $1.3 million in grants.
It would cover around $10.35 million of the nearly $12 million cut under the proposed budget as the city looks to tighten its belt around a $118 million structural budget deficit.
Gloria said new sources of revenue to cover the non-art additions include an increase in the transient occupancy tax — charged to those who stay in the city's hotels — and a $4.3 million boost to revenue by recovering rent from the city's golf courses.
"Every private golf course in San Diego pays rent for the land it sits on," he said. "Our public courses sit on public land owned by the people of San Diego. The new legal guidance allows us to properly account for the value of that land, and to make sure the public benefits when the courses succeed."
Council members also had to weigh significant decisions made Monday evening, when the council voted unanimously to end paid parking at Balboa Park by the end of the year and reduce trash fees for single-family homes.
Paid parking will end on Dec. 31 and the trash fees will be reduced to $38.75 starting next year for the "typical" 95-gallon bin bundle — a number adjusted for inflation from the initial proposal in 2021. Those using 65- or 35-gallon bins will pay "proportionally less." That amount will increase to $39.91 on July 1, 2028.
The decisions Monday mean the city must find the lost revenue — or slash existing services — from somewhere else. A possible reduction of services includes the elimination of bulky item pickup and delay of an electric vehicle rollout.
The city will immediately stop selling yearly passes for the parking, will stop selling quarterly passes on Sept. 30 and monthly passes by Nov. 30. Those who have already purchased a yearly pass will get a prorated refund from the city.
Single-family refuse pickup is funded by the city's general fund, which all residents pay into through property tax — whether they rent or own a single-family home, a condominium or an apartment. The city takes away 300,000 tons of trash and 150,000 tons of recycling, compostables and yard waste annually.
"The question I asked at the beginning of the budget season was this: does the final budget protect the basics for people to live safely now, while investing in the future for this city to flourish later?" Campillo said. "In large part, the answer is yes. While no budget is as good as we all want, this unanimously approved budget is significantly better than the original proposal, thanks in large part due to public input. We were able to come together to significantly reduce the city's budget deficit while maintaining vital public safety services and community programs. I fought hard for critical restorations to the parks, libraries, and arts and culture programming in my district and across the city because we all deserve a safe, prosperous city."
Von Wilpert praised the council's ability to balance safety with other needs.
"Although we continue to face significant financial challenges, the final budget addresses the priorities that matter most to our community," she said. "This budget protects public safety and the infrastructure our residents rely on every day. It keeps our neighborhoods safe by funding stormwater channel clearing in our most flood-prone communities and maintaining our San Diego Fire Department Wildfire Helicopter program. It supports funding our parks and libraries, which provide our youth with a safe place to unlock their full potential and thrive."
