San Diego Residents Demand Changes to Balboa Park Governance

Forum at Mission Valley Library Organized by San Diego Community Coalition – Also Hosted by Neighbors for a Better San Diego

From San Diego Today / March 29, 2026

San Diego community members are voicing concerns and calling for significant changes to the governance and funding of Balboa Park, following a public forum held at the Mission Valley Library on Saturday, March 28. Dozens attended the meeting, organized by the San Diego Community Coalition, to discuss the future of the iconic public space, with the central issue being the current city-controlled management system.

Why it matters
Balboa Park is a beloved and heavily utilized public space in San Diego, and the way it is governed and funded has major implications for its long-term health and vitality. The community’s push for change reflects a common challenge faced by urban parks and cultural institutions – balancing local control with the need for sustainable funding and regional benefit.

The details
Attendees expressed frustration with the current city-controlled management system and a desire for a new approach. The initial vision for Forever Balboa Park was for a fully empowered conservancy responsible for all aspects of the park’s operation, but currently major decisions still require approval from the city. Organizers plan to compile feedback from the forum into a formal document outlining potential solutions, including the idea of shifting management from the city to the county level. Supporters of this change argue that because residents throughout San Diego County utilize and benefit from Balboa Park, funding and oversight should be broadened to include county-level support.

Rag report:

The main speakers / moderators were Michael Stepner and Vickie Estrada. Coalition members Kate Callen and Paul Krueger opened up the session and introduced the main players to the more than 80 participants.

Other reports:

A March 28, 2026, town hall at the Mission Valley Library, organized by the San Diego Community Coalition, addressed urgent concerns over Balboa Park’s future, driven by controversy over new paid parking fees. Attendees called for a new governance system, moving beyond city control toward a public-private partnership (similar to Central Park Conservancy) to address funding and maintenance.

Some Key Takeaways from the Conversation:

Governance Shift: Participants expressed that the current city management system is ineffective, with speakers advocating for an independent, public-private model for long-term oversight.

Paid Parking Backlash: The introduction of city parking fees in 2026 was a major catalyst for the meeting, with critics calling it a “betrayal” of the park’s purpose that harms visitor attendance, particularly on Free Tuesdays.

Need for Revenue Control: Discussions highlighted the need for a dedicated, independent funding source to manage the park’s maintenance and infrastructure deficits, rather than using the park to fill city budget gaps.

Community Input: The town hall emphasized that the community should be directly involved in the planning process, referencing the need for a new Master Plan.
The meeting brought together residents to discuss strategies for ensuring that Balboa Park remains a accessible and well-maintained public space. The discussion is part of a larger ongoing debate about how to best steward the “crown jewel” of San Diego.

More:

Vicki Estrada, a community member and moderator of the forum, said the most pressing issue raised by attendees was governance.

“What I heard at the session we just had, over and over today I heard governance, governance, you know, what we are doing now with the city is not working, that we need a new system on how to govern Balboa Park. And that can mean as detailed as, you know, you want to build a new building. You don’t have to go to the city anymore. We go to this new entity that the Balboa Park [has]… because Forever Balboa Park is, in fact, a conservancy.

And I think initially the previous director had hopes that it would be a true conservancy in that they would be in charge, the conservancy would be in charge of everything that happens in the park. That’s not the way it is today,” Estrada said.

Estrada described the forum as productive but emphasized the level of frustration among participants.

“What I heard today is people are so frustrated. We’ve got to do something that, we’ve got to keep this going. And the plan is for us to meet again in a few months, and we’ll have a white paper preparing for some summarizing what we heard today. And then, looking at other places, more detail, some of the, the lists of some of the organization, some of the drawings and the plans.

And I’ve done that. Others have done, I’m going to put it on a site that that people will be able to access and get a link to download them all at once. They don’t have to go over the city to download all these documents. But I think this meeting was a catalyst to get people kicking by saying, all right, you guys want to change something? 3 or 4 people can’t do it. We all have to do it. We have to keep the momentum going. And I heard pretty positive response. Yeah, we have to do that. But it can’t just be talk, right? We’ve got to have action,” Estrada said.

Organizers say the conversation will continue in the coming months, with plans to compile feedback into a formal document outlining potential solutions and models used elsewhere.

Estrada added that the coalition hopes to bring its proposal to San Diego City Council and the County Board of Supervisors. One idea under consideration is shifting Balboa Park from city management to a county-managed system.

Supporters argue that because residents from across San Diego County use and benefit from Balboa Park, funding and oversight should extend beyond the city, allowing broader tax support and shared responsibility for maintenance and improvements.