San Diego City Council Avoids A Whole Lotta Budget Cuts, For Now

By Lisa Halverstadt, the Voice of San Diego

June 12, 2025

The San Diego City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday to approve a budget that avoided many previously threatened cuts to library and lake hours, recreation centers and park restrooms.

It also adds back the chief operating officer position that Mayor Todd Gloria abruptly nixed and took over earlier this year, funds a safe parking lot for homeless families at Central Elementary and restores the Office of Race and Equity.

The city’s budget for the year that begins in July is balanced – at least for now – with the help of assumptions the city will more swiftly pursue paid parking at Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, move forward with digital billboard ads, charge fees on credit card transactions at parking meters and cut about a dozen additional positions.

Charles Modica, the city’s independent budget analyst, repeatedly warned of risks.

“I’m going to be very hopeful that everything in here materializes,” Modica said.

If not, Modica said, the City Council and mayor could be forced to make tough calls again soon – and the threat of economic headwinds could lead to challenges even if various revenues the budget counts on exceed projections.

The adjustments followed a last-minute push from Councilmembers Henry Foster III, Joe LaCava, Sean Elo-Rivera and Kent Lee, who collectively identified additional projected revenues that ultimately helped restore many–but not all – of the cuts that Gloria proposed in his draft budgets.

“Even today, with what action we are going to take, this budget is not perfect, but it is progress,” said Foster, who chairs the City Council’s budget committee and spearheaded the review of new additions and revenues Tuesday.

More additions: The Council budgeted nearly $500,000 to buy more time to ramp down a Midway homeless shelter. It also invested in the Fire-Rescue Department’s brush management program to prevent wildfires and restored arts and culture funding that had been on the chopping block. The city will also accept a grant offered by County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to hold onto beloved beach fire pits. Monday hours will also be restored at 16 of 37 city libraries. Gloria had proposed closing all city libraries on Sundays and Mondays.

Who voted no and why: Councilmember Jennifer Campbell said she wasn’t confident that the budget was balanced. Councilmember Vivian Moreno argued it didn’t do enough to address stormwater concerns that continue to plague her district following last January’s floods.

What Gloria’s saying: Late Tuesday, Gloria’s office issued a statement noting that the City Council had “added tens of millions of dollars in new spending and changes” that concerned city budget analysts and attorneys.

“Over the next several days, the mayor and his team will closely review the Council’s amendments to ensure the final budget meets the level of fiscal responsibility this moment demands, especially given the current economic uncertainty and global instability,” spokesperson Rachel Laing wrote. “As always, San Diegans can count on the mayor to sign a budget that is balanced, fiscally sound, and workable for our city.”

What’s next: The budget is now headed to Gloria’s desk for his signature. Once it lands there, Gloria has five days to sign the budget or issue line-item vetoes. Tuesday’s 7-2 majority vote suggests the budget is veto-proof, but Gloria’s office hinted he may push councilmembers in coming days.

“Should the mayor choose to use the line-item veto, the City Council has the option to override that veto with six votes,” Laing wrote.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.

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