What the Mayor Didn’t Say in His State of the City Speech

By Paul Krueger

Given Mayor Todd Gloria’s current bid for re-election, his 2024 State of the City address was more notable for what he omitted than for what he discussed. These omissions raise doubts about the mayor’s willingness — or ability — to deliver on past promises, and if he understands that voters do have memories.

Hopefully, his election opponents and the media will remind the mayor of his previous commitment to these issues, some that he’s taken credit for improving, others that he promised to resolve, or at least acknowledge.

*Climate Change: We heard nothing about the city’s “binding commitment” to lower greenhouse gases, preserve and expand our “urban tree canopy,” improve public transit and “walkable communities”, encourage more use of bike lanes, and confront and protect against coastal flooding. Fact is, public transit ridership hasn’t even returned to pre-pandemic levels, bike lanes are almost always empty, and developers of multi-unit ADUs are clear-cutting back and front yards, destroying mature trees and shrubs, and covering what’s left with concrete.

*Border Sewage: No mention of one of the most pressing (and disgusting) environmental and health catastrophes facing our city and county. The lack of action by our city, county, state and federal governments, and our Mexican counterparts, — despite the laudable efforts of Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, environmental activist Serge Dedina, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, and others —  is more than frustrating. It’s absolutely unacceptable. This problem directly impacts the City of San Diego and the thousands of city residents and taxpayers who live in San Ysidro and other District 8 neighborhoods close to the polluted ocean and the border.

Our $5 Billion (and growing) Infrastructure Deficit:
The Mayor teased us on this one, telling us “relentless effort and action is the only way… to (resolve) our massive infrastructure deficit.”

But he proceeded to brag about his “Sexy Streets” program, the broken street lights he’s fixed, the parks he’s “upgraded.” Not a word about the $5 Billion infrastructure deficit that’s growing every day, and made worse by his ridiculous strategy of waiving desperately-needed Development Impact Fees for developers who profit handsomely from building tiny, market-rate apartments that rent for $2600 a month or more.

*The $3.6 Billion (and also growing) Pension Deficit: Combined with the above-mentioned infrastructure deficit, taxpayers are now saddled with almost $9 Billion in long term debt, not counting other bonded indebtedness forced on us by current and former mayors and councils. The mayor and council must soon make a big decision on how to handle this employee pension debt: bite the proverbial bullet and continue making scheduled payments to eventually balance the books, or avoid the problem by refinancing the debt and kicking the can down the road for the next generation of taxpayers and elected officials. What say you, Mr. Mayor?

One Cent Sales Tax: There was considerable speculation that the Mayor would discuss — if not promote — a proposed one cent sales tax that he and Council member Raul Campillo want to place on the November ballot. San Diegans deserve to know now — before the March primary — if the Mayor supports a sales tax increase. It might be too early for specifics or justifications, but we deserve an update.

One-Half Cent Transit Sales Tax: Again, crickets from the Mayor. It was widely reported last week that the groups supporting this tax have gathered the signatures necessary to place it on the November ballot. What’s the Mayor’s position — at least tentatively — on this important issue?

Community Planning Groups: The Mayor says his so-called “reforms” will “democratize” our city’s Community Planning Groups. How does overturning planning group elections promote democracy? It’s obvious that the Mayor’s real goal is to silence neighborhood opposition to poorly planned high-density housing projects in single-family neighborhoods, many built by developers and investors who fund his campaigns. The Mayor owed us a full explanation for his intentions to scuttle planning groups. We didn’t get one.

“Off-Siting” of Affordable Housing: The most contentious aspect of the Mayor’s “Housing Action Plan 2.0” was his endorsement of a development industry scam to build required affordable units in “low and moderate resource neighborhoods,” instead of “high resource” areas. Critics — and there were many of them, of all political stripes — argued that allowing developers to increase profits by “off-loading” the required percentage of affordable units contradicts the Mayor’s stated commitment to “equity and inclusion,” furthers segregation by race and income, and burdens poorer neighborhoods that lack basic infrastructure. Does the Mayor think his critics will forget this issue if he ignores it?

101 Ash Street and Civic Center: When he served as Council President, Gloria gushed about the great deal Kevin Faulconer brokered with “Papa” Doug Manchester (whose participation was conveniently hidden from the public), and the expertise provided by a supposedly “volunteer” real estate advisor. As mayor, Gloria pushed a largely subservient city council to approve a costly exit strategy that will handcuff taxpayers with decades of expensive bond payments. We deserve an update on planned uses for that asbestos-ridden White Elephant, and for the remaining lawsuits that will drown us further in debt. And what’s up with his grandiose plans for low-income housing and a new city hall and fire station at the decrepit Civic Center site? The Mayor wants to avoid any discussion of that mordibund proposal. And his obedient city council members enable his behavior.

Midway Rising: The quid-pro-quo worked like this: A wealthy, sketchy, out-of-town developer writes the Mayor a big check to support his pet candidates and causes. The Mayor cashes that check and makes sure the developer wins the contract to build the  ambitious “Midway Rising” project. But every update on the development includes scale-backs on housing, hotels, retail space, and roof-gardens, etc. Where, or where, do we go from here, Mr. Mayor?

These are just a sampling of the crucial issues and real challenges missing from the Mayor’s speech. He can’t make them disappear by ignoring them. We deserve a frank, open, honest discussion of these issues, right now. If the mayor doesn’t deliver, voters should remember the promises he didn’t keep, and the issues he sidestepped.