The San Diego City Council on Tuesday will give final consideration to Mayor Todd Gloria’s $5.8 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget, reflecting even more rollbacks of cuts to services proposed in March.
The budget to be discussed represents a nearly 12% increase over FY 2023’s $5.12 billion budget.
March’s initial $5.65 billion budget received mixed reviews from the San Diego City Council and the public, which called out cuts to equity programs, police and fire academies and some parks and libraries.
Since then, following up on council budget meetings and public comment, Gloria took other actions to save money, including suspending non- essential spending in city departments, as well taking action to ensure the city is filling “only the most critical positions” before the end of the fiscal year.
Additionally, Gloria proposed sweeping balances from some special funds into the city’s general fund, suspending contributions to reserves and using one-time measures such as requesting that the San Diego Housing Commission use $15 million in its reserves to partially fund existing programs.
The city’s independent budget analyst, Charles Modica, said that while the proposed budget might not have what everyone is looking for, it is balanced and “reflects the city’s precarious position,” as it looks forward.
According to Modica, the cuts proposed this year are planned as one- time slashes to the budget, but next year may see more significant, permanent cuts unless San Diego can secure another source of revenue.
Among projects allocated for is the proposal to turn H Barracks, the city-owned former Navy land adjacent to San Diego International Airport, into roughly 200 spaces for the city’s Safe Parking Program — nearly doubling the capacity of the program.
Another allocation is for the proposed 1,000-bed shelter located at Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street in Middletown — which the council met in closed session on Monday to discuss.
Final adoption is due no later than June 30.
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