By Frank Laughton / June 3, 2025
First, a true confession, I am not a financial wizard, and I have never run for or held a public office. I’m just a lowly taxpayer, and recent decisions from our political leaders make me feel even more lowly.
I was a firm supporter of the strong mayor concept in 2004, when the passage of Proposition F eliminated the city manager form of government on a trial basis, and again in 2010, when the passage of Proposition D made the new arrangement permanent. I believed at the time that the Mayor needed to have the flexibility to carry out his or her agenda.
But the past several years have delivered a strong wake-up call. Everywhere I look, I see hard evidence that the Mayor and the City Council do not have the competence to run the affairs of the city.
Let’s start with fiscal mismanagement. I’m a former long-distance biker who is all for safety. But how can the City justify spending $90 million on 26 miles of bike lanes that are hardly used? There was no cost-benefit analysis done (that I know of). When the Mayor was asked for a justification of the large expenditure, his answer was “safety.” Where was the data to support that position?
The unintended consequences have been many. Revenue generated by displaced parking meters was lost, tax revenue from small businesses forced to close was gone, and the city eventually put a sales tax proposal on the ballot which was turned down by angry voters.
City Hall’s plan to charge for trash collection has been a disaster. Exactly how much will the new fees be? That seems to depend on the day of the week. The city has changed its estimates because of complaints, and it has admitted to errors. How can we trust this proposal going forward?
We finally got a cost-effective system of ambulance service that works properly – and now the Mayor wants to bring it in-house. Why? So the Municipal Employees Union can increase its membership and add to our pension obligations? Aren’t we in enough trouble there?
And then there’s the seemingly endless series of proposals to “end homelessness.” They all burn though money, and none of them seem to work. And there’s the 101 Ash Street debacle. San Diego taxpayers bought a building that cannot be used because of asbestos. The original deal was a 20-year lease-to-purchase. We bought the darn thing for 100 cents on the dollar. Now we’re stuck with it.
More recently, our new City Attorney hired an Executive Assistant City Attorney at a yearly salary of more than $282,000. Where is this new hire spending her first four months on the job? At sea on an around-the-world cruise. And while the rest of the workforce is going back to the office, the 400-plus employees of the City Attorney’s office can still work remotely.
The strong mayor form of government was sold to San Diego voters as a kind of experiment. That experiment has failed.
Mayor Todd Gloria laments the problem of our massive budget deficit. But what is he actually doing to solve the problem? He’s not cutting budget expenditures, like laying off managers with six-figure salaries. Instead, he’s trying to get money out of Balboa Park visitors by charging them for parking.
I don’t know if a City Manager could fix these problems. But a professional administrator with hands-on business experience could bring some rational input to the job of running local government. A financial expert who isn’t always running for office could clean up what has become a political food trough for insiders.
If San Diego has enough courage to bring back the city manager, maybe we taxpayers would have enough confidence in our city’s leadership that a sales tax increase might be warranted. Right now, we don’t.
Frank Laughton is retired and lives in Mission Hills.
Thank you. Well said.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
Monday morning quarterback. This article is worthless.
We’ve been here before with a city manager. Comical. Why are my posts not posted? None are personal. How bad is it we want a city manager NOW after having one in the past? Felony stupid. People do not know what government is doing let alone what they’ve done in then past. There needs to be history lessons.
Chris S– while I was in the hospital Kate did not post any comments that needed attention. (I warned you) but here they are.
He’s back! And I’m so glad.
Either we need cuty manager form of government for san dirgo or let people totally rule we must have full 7 dayva week library
I read your rant with great interest. Much of what you say is right on target. I have covered the city and its administration and political side since the 80s. Both sides have disappointed time after time. There have been excellent leaders on the council and as well as on the administrative side. There is also a steady stream of people with varying degrees of competence. BUT the idea of going back to city manager form of government is not the solution. There was a string of incompetent city managers before the strong mayor system was installed. It’s not the job title or job requirements. It’s the people who are put in those positions. For example, if Donna Frye had been elected mayor, the city would be a different place now. We need game changers and smart people in positions of power. And therein lies the problem
The San Diego City Council approved sweeping new parking rules Monday that pave the way for paid parking on Sundays, $10-an-hour meters near Petco Park and more meters in neighborhoods across the city.
City officials say they’re also close to finalizing plans to start charging for parking at the San Diego Zoo and the rest of Balboa Park. But they said details on parking there for employees, volunteers and city residents still must be decided.
Mayor Todd Gloria’s aides said they’ve also launched negotiations with the state Coastal Commission over city plans to start charging for parking in Mission Bay Park and inside city beach parking lots.
The mayor’s staff also committed for the first time to studying whether to exempt city residents from new parking fees — or give them discounts — at off-street lots, including the zoo and the rest of Balboa Park.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/02/san-diego-oks-sweeping-parking-price-hikes-from-paid-sunday-parking-to-10-an-hour-meters-during-padres-games/
couldn’t agree more a Manger who runs the city a major who answers to the politics and approves or works with the manager to run the city.
The City Manager form of City government is the answer. NO form
of City or municipal government is perfect! However, we are fortunate that in the past we have had competent, honest City Managers! If an incompetent or dishonest City Manager is in place, he/she can be fired by the City Council! Conversely, we have to wait 4 years to oust an incompetent, corrupt Mayor, such as we have now, i.e. Todd Gloria! We had a chance to elect a competent, honest Mayor in Barbara Bry, but we accepted the labor unions & developers propaganda and elected Gloria. Shame on them and shame on us!
I totally agree, SD needs a City Manager, I didn’t vote for the strong mayor form of government, because I thought what if a wing nut gets elected….. and here we are.
The Council Reps have to decide if they want to keep the little Dictator happy so they get some funds for their Districts, OR oppose him and get no funds, or huge reductions in what the little Dictator allocates to them.
Misppelled last comment we need city manager or people to rule libraries provide education learning community
I read the “Reader’s Rant” with interest because “history Repeats Itself” in San Diego. Back in the early 1930s, the San Diego Union was rife with stories of political corruption and mismanagement by the Strong Mayor, who convinced the entire City Council to pour money into building a series of dams to increase water supply for land developers, but the massive tax increase caused a Citizen Revolt and both the Mayor and City Council were thrown out of office and voters approved a City Manager form of government. Fifty years later, the State of California approved a General Plan form of government that really required a highly qualified and well trained urban planner to manage our complex cities. Then in 2004, the real estate and land developer industry conned voters into rejecting our qualified City Manager system and we ushered in a new wave of Pro-high density land development government that stripped away all control of long term planning, zoning, and controlled development such that our public infrastructure and safety would be ensured in the decades to come. I highly recommend a second Citizen Revolt and we throw the bums out and change our Charter to return to a City Manager form of government. End the Corruption Now!
Totally agree. City Manager form of government puts a qualified non-political person in charge of running things under direction of the elected City Council.
Is it even legal for the Mayor to be City Manager? I would like to see a good lawyer challenge this maneuver Todd has pulled. It seems there is more than one person who wants to be King!
It is sad that San Diego finally has a Council and Mayor that is a mix of ethic backgrounds, men and women, and gays, yet they are no better, maybe worse, at representing the people of San Diego than past mayors and council members. They seem only interested in appeasing insiders, developers, and others with self-serving agendas (including their own). With all the chaos at the Federal level, we really don’t need to be lambasted locally and by the state. The Dems need to clean up their act!
Ms. Blavatt is correct! Regrettably, I believe the City Charter doesn’t
deal with this situation. And I doubt, any councilperson or the
City Attorney will pickup the challenge, or the cudgel! The San Diego
Tax Payers association would be a logical complainant, but it is out of action at present. Anyone acquainted with our City knows that presently the Mayor’s office is top heavy with staff (28) and the
COO’s office has a staff, now occuppied by Gloria. He claims to be the acting Chief Operting Officer, but so far as we all know, not claiming the corresponding PAY CHECK!? i suspect the COO Office is essentially on AUTOPILOT! With the Mayor appearing in the office to manage its principal deputies and make decisions and sign authorizations & decisions! What is the City Council doing? Ignoring!