In the third of four 2025 Budget Review Town Hall forums, public testimony again questioned whether the spending priorities of the Mayor and the City Council are in alignment with the spending priorities of communities and taxpayers.
More than 50 people gathered for the February 15 forum at the Mission Valley Library to hear a presentation from Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) Charles Modica and to express their own views about city finances.
The series title is “Now that Measure E Has Failed, Where Should City Budget Cuts Be Made?” The goal is for constituents to communicate directly with elected officials about their budget priorities and their concerns about city taxing and spending.
Members of the Mission Valley audience called for greater investment in infrastructure and more robust code enforcement, especially as neighborhoods are feeling the strain of infill densification.
They challenged spending public funds on an enlarged city payroll and on bicycle mobility programs, neither of which seem to enjoy strong public support.
They asked if user fees are high enough to cover the cost of fee administration. And they called for greater transparency in how the City diverts money from developer impact fees (DIFs) from the communities where the development takes place.
City representatives included then-Chief Operating Officer Eric Dargan (who attended the two prior forums and was available to answer questions) and Lucero Maganda, Community Representative for Mayor Todd Gloria. No Councilmember attended or sent a representative.
The following excerpts provide discussion highlights. The fourth and final forum will take place Thursday, February 20, at 6:00 p.m. at the Mira Mesa Senior Center, 8460 Mira Mesa Blvd,
Leslie Dufour, Pacific Beach
“When you look at all the municipal bonds in the state, 70 percent of those pass, so it seems that people really care about infrastructure. Why don’t we have more of a dedicated infrastructure policy plan? People seem to trust those, they pass more often. Even though [they pass by] two-thirds and not 50 percent, doesn’t that make a point?”
Bob La Rose, North Park
“I’m interested in information about employee compensation and if there’s a breakdown of administrators versus people who actually do the work. … Also, has the City’s portion of development impact fees [DIFs] changed over the years, and are impact fees collected for any particular project determined by its impact on the community?”
Chuck Ford, Clairemont
“Would you have recommended that the City pre-pay for 101 Ash in a lump sum rather than paying over 30 years?”
Catharine Douglass, La Jolla
“Has the Council asked you to look at specific programs that generate user fees? An example is the Sidewalk Vending Act. It’s my impression that the permit fee is $37 or $38. The City had to go out and hire a lot more park rangers dedicated to that effort. Can you look at what’s coming in on the permit [fee] side and what’s going out from the general fund on that?”
Dawn Anderson, Talmadge
“Code enforcement has been an issue for decades, and it has got to stop, especially with the Mayor wanting to do these ‘stack-and-pack’ buildings. People are not getting [building] permits, and the City is losing property taxes because they don’t get the proper value of the property that’s being developed. … As for the quality of work on projects like storm drains, sewer, electrical, water, there’s been a lack of compaction. If you don’t compact, you have sinking sidewalks and streets, and the City has to come back and redo things.”
Sharon Kramer, Serra Mesa:
“Our community planning group submitted to the Transportation Department so many concerns about safety issues around the bike lanes near our junior high school. We were completely ignored by the City. Everyone in the community knows it’s more dangerous now that they’ve reduced the [vehicle] lanes, but there’s a lack of interest in what the community has to say from start to finish.”
Shain Haug, Allied Gardens-Grantville
“Grantville was designed by a community plan with no infrastructure in terms of libraries and schools. Much of what’s going in is low-income housing. We’re seeing that wherever there is a Sustainable Development Area, the DIF is almost meaningless for those of us who are dependent on that for infrastructure.”
Again, the fourth and final forum will take place Thursday, February 20, at 6:00 p.m. at the Mira Mesa Senior Center, 8460 Mira Mesa Blvd,
