Well-known community activist and now newspaper publisher, Shane Harris, has raised the issue of paid parking at Balboa Park to a new level with his introduction of a city ordinance to repeal the largely unpopular new policy which just went into effect formerly Monday, January 5.
Also, Harris has launched a county-wide petition to repeal paid parking in Balboa Park — with this effort having gained the support of 10 county mayors, his campaign claims.
In doing so, Harris has entered the squabble between city council members and Mayor Gloria over the apparent disastrous roll-out of the paid parking program (outlined by Rag writer Lou Rehling and by U-T reporter David Garrick).
Quoting from the press statement of Harris’ organization, Office of the Public Advocate:
Harris sharply criticized Councilmembers Sean Elo Rivera and Kent Lee for what he described as a “misleading and inadequate response” to the paid parking crisis in Balboa Park, while formally introducing a new ordinance to fully repeal paid parking and launching an online petition to support the effort.
Harris’s action is now featured on the Public Advocate’s official “New Proposals” page — where residents are invited to sign the petition to repeal paid Balboa Park parking and join a growing movement calling for restoration of free access to a public park cherished by millions each year.
“Councilmembers Elo Rivera and Kent Lee have proposed a temporary ‘pause’ that preserves the very ordinance that created this problem,” said Harris. “That won’t fix the confusion, inequity, or frustration residents are feeling — it just delays the pain. I’m proposing a real solution: full repeal of paid parking and restoration of free public parking for all.”
Here’s more from their statement:
Paid parking at Balboa Park went into effect in January 2026 following City Council approval of a paid parking program in 2025 intended to generate revenue and manage parking demand. The program has drawn broad criticism for operational failures, including malfunctioning meters and a resident discount portal that many San Diegans find inaccessible or confusing.
Residents have also raised concerns about inequitable treatment of countywide visitors, who are charged parking fees despite Balboa Park serving as a regional cultural asset shared by residents of neighboring cities. Local coverage and public testimony have reflected substantial backlash since the policy was implemented.
In response, Harris has drafted an ordinance that would fully repeal the legislation that created paid parking (Ordinance No. O-2025-___) and would restore free public parking for all visitors. The ordinance also includes safeguards requiring that any future paid parking proposal must receive City Council approval through a separate legislative process after public hearings and an equity impact analysis.
As part of the repeal effort, Harris has launched a countywide online petition — now available on his official website — to demonstrate grassroots support for the ordinance and amplify public input into the Council’s legislative process.
Harris’s newest initiative has already secured the support of ten San Diego County mayors representing cities across the region, further underscoring that Balboa Park parking is a countywide concern as well. A joint press conference with the supporting mayors and residents is expected to be scheduled soon to formally announce the coordinated repeal effort — contrasting sharply with the temporary “pause” memorandum circulated by Councilmembers Elo Rivera and Kent Lee.
“The public doesn’t want half-measures,” Harris added. “They want a permanent solution. We’re calling for real leadership that restores access, equity, and respect for the public’s park.”
The online petition and full text of the proposed ordinance are available at https://www.shaneharrissd.com/new-proposals. San Diego Public Advocate Shane Harris
Shane Harris is the man! Thank you.
Shane Harris is An extraordinary human being, focused on making children happy and providing tremendous support to the community.
More and more Shane Harris has demonstrated the type of community leadership for all San Diegans; leadership that we so desperately need in which to make a better San Diego for all of us. While at the same time, our elected officials have persistently, consistently and willfully shunned the dire need of such leadership – woeful lack of leadership which commenced from the very beginning of their (Gloria, Elo & La Cava) tenures.
And more and more publications are highlighting this by reporting as such.
In the Sunday UT, such overall sediment is gaining traction underscoring as to how bad our city leadership as become – these Letters to the Editor, published in today’s paper in response to the article, “Mayor defends park’s paid parking, blames council for the rocky rollout” by David Garrick.
. . . Letters to the Editor – Parking mess has roots in city’s fiscal mismanagement
Re “Mayor Gloria defends Balboa Park paid parking, blames council for rocky rollout” (Dec. 8):
“David Garrick’s article on the mayor’s classic blame-game approach to the Balboa Park paid parking rollout perfectly encapsulates the ever-persistent dysfunction and incompetence of this administration, in concert with our City Council. Together, they are truly worse than the sum of their parts.
At this juncture, it is transparently clear that we cannot expect any resolution to the city’s budget deficit during the remainder of Gloria’s tenure. This mayor and his pet poodles on the council have repeatedly demonstrated that they lack not only the skill set, but also the political will, to steer San Diego out of the fiscal mess created by their own governance.”
— Ralph Teyssier, Talmadge
“I had to laugh when I saw that Mayor Gloria was trying to blame the complex parking fees in the park on the City Council. Someone please remind him that he is the de facto city manager. His idea to charge large fees for parking in the park should have resulted in being kicked out of office. To make large profits from parking fees to make up for his terrible management of tax dollars and his expensive real estate errors should be unacceptable. Putting his failures on the taxpayers to fix is unfair.
Just dump all the new parking fees. They won’t be needed if the city goes back to a real city manager, or even gets a competent mayor.”
— Hal Valderhaug, La Mesa
“I always felt that free vehicle access to and parking in Balboa Park was a right of residents. Mayor Gloria hides his true loyalty to labor unions behind bureaucratic phrases like “structural deficit.” This is code speak for the sad fact that his real constituency is the well-organized and overcompensated city workers, on whose behalf he will extract ever more taxes and fees and deny ever more services and rights to the non-organized citizenry who mistakenly thought he and the council were our representatives.”
— Mike Stevens, Alpine
. . . . in closing, Note to Shane: Keep up the good work. San Diegans are proud and grateful to have you.