San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he will approve the latest revision of the city’s budget, which has to address the city’s ongoing structural deficit. The revision restores funding to some recreation centers, libraries and arts programs.
The decisions made in the budget affect services used by San Diegans every day, from road infrastructure to public safety. KPBS has been tracking Mayor Gloria’s budget proposals that aim to tackle the city’s $118 million deficit while balancing public wants. And if you want to try to balance the budget yourself, you can check out the KPBS Budget Challenge.
San Diego's Independent Budget Analyst Charles Modica joined KPBS Metro Reporter Andrew Bowen Thursday for an AMA (ask me anything) on the r/SanDiego subreddit.
People wanted to know more about the city’s relationship with SDG&E, what contributed to the deficit, the price of parking permits and how bike lanes factor into the budget. Modica and Bowen broke down these questions.
Redditor u/Carnitazz asked if the city of San Diego could acquire SDG&E’s infrastructure to avoid rate increases. While Modica said the city is exploring this option, it would require massive up-front costs.
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Modica said the biggest costs would likely come from “purchasing the transmission/distribution infrastructure that SDG&E owns.”
Redditor u/Broad-Spare-4432 inquired if the city could raise the price of residential parking permits to cover the cost of the program.
Bowen explained why parking permit fees haven’t increased more.
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User u/b_tuccinardi wanted to know how bike lanes fit into the city’s spending. Bowen said it's only a small chunk of the overall budget.
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That Redditor also asked why the city of San Diego isn’t using strategies similar to those used by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to balance their budget.
Modica explained what makes San Diego’s situation different.
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The City Council approved this year’s budget on Tuesday, after hours of public comment. Many people discussed the controversial contract between the city and Flock Safety, a company that provides automated license plate reader cameras.
Some speakers spoke in support of the surveillance system, while others said it’s an invasion of privacy. The council ultimately did not change the contract.
“I think the technology can be useful, and I think the privacy concerns are also real,” Modica said in an interview with KPBS shortly after the Reddit AMA. “That's a decision for the folks that people in the city elect to make. Because that's the kind of decision that people are elected to make.”
Modica said this was a challenging budget year, and next year is likely to follow the same pattern. He said what it would take to begin to fix the basic infrastructure of the city is up to voters.
“That ultimately requires voter approval of new revenue, and voter approval ultimately requires trust in the city's operations,” Modica said. “So it's important for the city to work well and effectively and efficiently. And it's also important for folks who are demanding and expecting the city to provide programs to be realistic about what those programs cost.”
More in-depth responses to many more questions are live on the Reddit AMA now.
