By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / April 21, 2026
Hundreds of San Diego residents and community leaders criticized Mayor Todd Gloria’s new proposed budget Monday for cutting money for arts, library hours, recreation centers, youth services and other programs.
In public testimony at City Hall and in comments submitted by email, critics said the mayor’s proposed spending plan for the new fiscal year prioritizes the wrong things and would make devastating cuts to key programs.
Many of the speakers are artists or members of local arts organizations frustrated by a proposed $11.8 million cut in city grants — money the organizations often use to secure matching grants.
“Cutting this funding is not fiscally responsible, it is short-sighted,” said local artist Sara Wilczynska. “Arts and cultural industries in the U.S. have grown faster than the overall economy in recent years, and public investment in the arts generates tax revenue and business activity far beyond the initial funding.”
Others were focused on libraries.
“Why is the San Diego Public Library being asked to absorb even more significant budget cuts on top of an already-slashed library budget?” asked Whitney MacKenzie. “Find the money somewhere else. Our communities need our libraries desperately.”
Patrick Stewart, leader of the city’s library foundation that is now called LibraryFoundationSD, criticized the mayor’s approach.
“I’m concerned by the either-or approach that this budget has taken,” Stewart said. “There’s been zero creativity in how we’re going to be able to still bring services to the city.”
Another unpopular proposed cut would eliminate the Office of Child and Youth Success.
“For over 20 years, San Diegans — youth, parents, educators, and organizers — have fought for a dedicated city investment in young people’s futures,” said Tristin Berry, an organizer at nonprofit Youth Will. “The Office of Child and Youth Success was that dream finally coming to life.”
Other speakers complained about the cuts in general.
“Our nonprofits deserve better,” said Judy Vaughs, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood.
Many speakers said the city should reverse the proposed cuts and close a projected $146 million deficit instead by cutting funding for Police Department programs, particularly surveillance efforts.
Mayor Gloria said at the beginning of Monday’s hearing that his budget prioritizes public safety, roads and homelessness based partly on surveys completed by 11,000 local residents.
While the mayor stressed that all city departments would suffer cuts in his proposal, he said it was important to him to avoid closing police stations and taking fire engines offline.
“This budget invests in the basics,” he explained.
The proposed $2.2 billion spending plan would close a projected $146 million deficit with $26 million from worker furloughs, $44 million in new revenue and $76 million in service cuts that would come with about 130 layoffs.
Other cuts would hit homeless services, facilities maintenance, zoning enforcement, park rangers and restroom closures in some parks and would eliminate a team that adds bike lanes across the city.
The city’s independent budget analyst is scheduled to release a comprehensive analysis of the proposal April 29.
The City Council, which could reverse the proposed cuts during budget negotiations this spring, will get a department-by-department summary of the proposed budget the first week of May.
The mayor is scheduled to release his May revisions to the budget on May 13, and the council is slated to adopt a final budget June 9 — three weeks before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
That top photo showing dozens of people inside council chambers giving the thumbs down is such an iconic symbol of Gloria’s tenure, that I’m sure the Rag will use it many times in the future.
References to “the arts” and “cultural insitutions” are very broad and it sure might be helpful to sort through this if people would identify exactly what arts/cultural institutions the cuts are to.
/s/ Chris Kennedy