Here is the U-T Editorial Board criticizing San Diego Mayor Gloria, again:
The never-ending stories coming out of City Hall that make San Diegans incredulous, angry or both continued this week when details of a 50-page report by City Auditor Andy Hanau went public. It documented how often Mayor Todd Gloria and his staff violated contracting rules by increasing spending limits without City Council approval. The audit found that contract changes totaling $155 million were sent to the council for review later than required, after the funds were spent or not at all.
This may be shrugged off by the mayor’s allies as accounting minutiae. But transparently following the rules on the spending of public funds is crucial to limiting corruption and guarantees a much higher level of accountability than when corners are routinely cut, as is the San Diego way. Yet despite four similar internal reports since 2015, the same basic mistakes seen under Mayor Kevin Faulconer continue under Gloria.
The latest report suggested confusion over the rules may be why so many city staff didn’t realize the egregiousness of their actions. But while that explanation may have flown in 2015, it now seems to rationalize the fact that Gloria’s and Faulconer’s aides kept making the same mistake — not seeking necessary council approval for spending changes — that made their jobs easier. Were they making mistakes that erred on the side of seeking unnecessary approvals? Yeah, right.
The City Council’s skepticism about the mayor was on display late last month when it put the brakes on his befuddling push to quickly approve a complex proposal to lease a 65,000-square-foot warehouse in Middletown and turn it into a 1,000-bed homeless shelter at a potential long-term cost of $1 billion or more. The latest report suggests even more council skepticism is in order. A case can be made that Gloria has done far more to strengthen the argument for returning to a city manager form of government than any advocate of the change.
Originally Published: August 9, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.
Thx for reprinting this bold and very accurate editorial for those who can’t get past the UT paywall.
I’m a subscriber, so am not sure what is available to no -subscribers, tho I’ve heard lately that any and all content is available only to subscribers.
Regardless, the UT is doing great word —from Jeff McDonald’s quality reporting to the string and insightful editorials and excellent sports covers— and really deserves your support. It takes real money to produce real journalism. Please subscribe to the Union Tribune.
And yet Elo wants more eminent domain for homeless shelters.
https://voiceofsandiego.org/2024/08/14/eminent-domain-san-diego-homeless-shelters/#comment-66373
I admit. I voted for the strong mayor but back then it made sense since it seemed like nothing was getting done but the strong mayor’s have had their chances and they’ve done nothing but graft and wrong way choices that honestly seem to be strengthening their PACs instead of working for the people who live here. I for one am getting tired of being told that the people of San Diego don’t know what is good for us and being barreled over by our mayor, city attorney, and the current kiss asses on our city council.
I didn’t vote for a Strong Mayor form of government, because I thought it thru and realized if the public voted in a wing nut, we’d be screwed. And here we are…..the mayor is making all the decisions for the City residents and the constituents have no voice. Time for a Mayor that listens, won’t waste money on the special interests preferential decisions, and wants to hear from the public. vote larryturnerformayor.com
A prediction: If Todd’s good friend Kamala Harris (he endorsed her in 2020) wins the presidency, two things will happen.
1) Our newly-reelected mayor will finagle a post in the Harris administration, pack a few suitcases, and catch the next plane to D.C., which has always been his ultimate career destination.
2) After a month in Washington, he will feel like a JV football player who suddenly finds himself on the field in the NFL. It won’t be pretty.
Maybe we could run a campaign to not have Harris endorse the Todd.
You guys need to let the city manager thing go. San Diego was able to generate plenty of scandals under that system too, and you all know full well they’d just hire a lackey anyway – one we couldn’t vote out every four years. Pining for a model used by mid-size cities is waste of everyone’s time. 1.4 million people live here. It’s not getting on the ballot. The ship has sailed.
What we really need is *more* elected officials: expanded city council, some at-large council seats, citywide-elected auditor, etc. I know it’s a hard sell, but the more politicians you mix together, the more they start checking each other, even if it’s only out of sheer ambition and self-preservation. The bigger the pond is, the tougher it is for any one faction to maintain control. Maybe it’s counterintuitive, but I guarantee you this would make the city act more like you want it to – certainly more so than finding a mythical, unelected manager who’s somehow beyond politics.
Orville – You make a lot of sense; could you fill it out some and allow us to post it as a “Reader’s Rant” or “Rave”? Send it to me via email: obragblog@gmail.com